


Life Doesn't Always Go As Planned

by prpldragon50



Series: Life [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sexual Content, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-07-27 05:31:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 83,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7605517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prpldragon50/pseuds/prpldragon50
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who is the mysterious woman who has crashed into McGarrett's life? How will she affect him? And why does he feel so protective of her? This is a long journey into my twisted imagination. </p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own anything H50. Just inspired by the characters. This is my first foray into FanFiction, so please be kind. I am not a medical nor a law enforcement expert.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Life Doesn't Always Go As Planned**

The Meeting: Chapter One

Looking around the dark room, she's confused for a moment, not remembering where she is, and then it all comes back to her. She was in the guest room of the head of Five-0 after her brother was killed in his own house. She had originally wanted to stay at a hotel, but the leader had insisted, telling her she could be in danger. He'd given her a choice: stay with him in his guest room or he would be bunking with her in that hotel room. She figured it would be more comfortable for them both in his house than in a small hotel room. Turning her head, she hears what woke her up. Getting out of bed, she slips on her robe and goes out into the hall. The moaning and mumbling gets louder and she quietly makes her way to the main bedroom. Glancing through the open door, she can see him tossing in his sleep, mumbling something about his mother not being his mother. From the doorway, she can see the tenseness throughout his body, the veins standing out on his neck and forehead and the distress on his face. The covers, tossed aside and she couldn't help but notice the fine physique straining against unseen bonds. His arms were straight at his sides, muscles taught, veins standing out clear as day. The tattoos on his upper arms were twisted and seemed to be pulling all directions. She felt ashamed, seeing him so exposed and when he sat straight up, she quickly moved back into the hallway, her back against the wall, her breathing stalled. She listened for him to move to the door and sighs when she hears the water turn on in the bathroom. Moving quietly, she makes her way back to the guest room, closing the door most of the way and sitting on the bed. She can hear him moving around, footsteps moving close to her door. Lying back on the bed, she turns her back to the door. She hears the door creak open and then close again and she relaxes. Leaning over to the bedside table, she turns on the light, pulls out her laptop and turns it on. Signing in, she types in the name: Lt. Commander Steven J. McGarrett. Her eyes widen as the screen fills with information. Clicking on a link at the bottom of the screen, she pulls up all the redacted information and classified files. Scanning through it, her heart hurts at all that he's seen and survived. A creak outside her room has her closing the machine and hiding it under her pillows.

Knocking on the door, she sees his head peer around, "Hey, can't sleep?" He grins.

"You either?" She replies, smiling back.

"Lots on my mind. How about you?"

"Moving a mile a minute."

"Wanna join me outside?" He nods toward the back of the house.

Nodding, she climbs off the bed and follows him down the stairs. Watching him move around the kitchen, it's hard for her to believe that just a few minutes ago he was tossing in his bed, whimpering and mumbling, completely vulnerable. His movements, very deliberate and precise, are completely in line with the military background. "Beer?" He holds up two bottles.

"Why not?" She laughs, grabbing one out of his hand. "I don't think either of us will be getting any more sleep tonight." She turns and heads out the back lanai door, hearing him right behind her.

He follows her out the door, watching her walk out into the dark. He can't help but notice how the robe wraps around her, showing off her curves. He couldn't help but notice the skimpy tank and shorts on under the robe and he watches her bare feet traipsing through the grass out to the Adirondacks. Following her lead, he sits in the empty chair, crosses ankle over knee and opens the beer. For a few minutes, they just sit in silence, drinking and looking out over the water. She's pulled her legs up onto the chair, arms around her knees, bottle dangling from her fingers. Looking over, he catches a reflection off her face as a tear runs down her cheek.

"Were you two close?" He asks, gently.

She sighs heavily, taking a long drink from her bottle. "When we were kids, we were inseparable. He was my shadow. He was ten years younger than I was and since my parents were never home, I practically raised him. I know, it sounds so cliché, but that's how it was. For the first five years of his life, I was his mama. When I was fifteen, I started having trouble in school and couldn't spend as much time with him. By the time I graduated from high school, I barely saw him anymore and then I was off on my own. We kept in touch over the years, but my work kept me away and the traveling didn't allow much time for visiting. When I got this job and found out I was coming to Oahu, I figured it would be a great chance to get together and bond again." Her voice breaks on the last couple of words. She shifts in her chair, her back to him, arms hugging her knees to her chest. "We only had three days together. We had so many plans and then never…" her words fade out.

Steve looks over at her, and though he can't make out her face, he can't mistake the shaking of her body. Instincts kicking in, he moves in front of her, kneeling in the sand, and tenderly takes her in his arms, pulling her close. He expects her to resist, but she melts into his arms, burying her face in his neck. For some reason, he wants to protect this woman, to keep her safe and take away all her pain. He knows how hard it is to lose someone you love and for it to be her baby brother, well, his heart breaks for her. Her arms go around his neck, her fingers gripping onto his shirt, pulling it into her fists. He can feel the desperation in her, the need to have someone there for her, to be able to let it all go, if only for a few minutes. He's been waiting to find someone like that for years. He feels her pull him tighter to her, crushing him to her body as if he's the only thing keeping her from falling apart. He can feel the wetness soaking his t-shirt as the tears fall unbidden and without restraint. The bottle forgotten and draining out onto the ground next to the chair, he feels her slip from the seat onto the ground with him, her grip not loosening and the sobbing becoming hysterical. He continues to hold on to her, recognizing the need for human contact and giving her what she needs. As many times as Danny calls him a non-feeling, robot, killing machine, he needs human contact just as much as the next person does. He does get it, just not the kind he looks for late at night when he wakes from one of his night terrors and is just looking for someone to hold him close. So, for as long as she needs it, he will hold her…and let her cry it all out. He can't help but feel there's more to this than just her brother, but he'll be patient and wait for her, if she wishes to share.

Unclear how much time passes, he feels her grip begin to loosen and her body relax. Pulling back from her slightly, her head falls back and he realizes she's fallen asleep. Taking care not to jostle her too much, he picks her up in his arms and carries her up to the guest room. Laying her down on the bed, he starts to pull a blanket over her when he feels a hand on his arm.

"Don't…" She pulls on his arm. He looks into her emerald eyes and, for a split second, he sees fear and hopelessness, then it's gone and all he sees is sadness and pain and again, he wants to just take her in his arms and make it all go away. Pulling his gaze away from her eyes, he can't believe what he's feeling at this moment. It's crazy that he feels so protective over her, but he does and if he's learned anything, it's that he needs to follow his instincts. Watching her scoot over on the bed, he sits down, legs up on the bed, and puts an arm around her. Settling against him, she puts her head on his shoulder and her arm across his chest, her hand resting on his ribcage. Automatically, he moves his arm over hers, his hand resting on her upper arm.

"Thank you." She whispers, not wanting to break the spell.

"You are welcome." He replies, laying his cheek against the top of her head.

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50

Squeezing his eyes tight, he tries to shut out the light. Realizing it's not going away, he slowly opens his eyes to the sun shining in the windows. Blinking rapidly, he wonders what time it is. Moving carefully, he pulls his phone out of his pocket and sighs when he sees the time.

"What time is it?" He hears from his shoulder. Turning his head, he looks into the most wonderful sight to wake up to - the most beautiful, emerald-green eyes he's ever seen.

"Just after seven." He smiles down at her. "How'd you sleep?"

She stretches her legs, moving up into her back and slowly sits up, stretching her arms above her head. "Hmmmm, fabulously. You?" She smiles at him, seeing his edginess.

"Uh, better than I have in a long time, even if only for a few hours." He swings his legs over the side of the bed and stands.

She reaches out, grabbing his forearm lightly. "Um, Commander…" she hesitates. "Thank you for last night. I didn't mean to become so hysterical. I just couldn't…"

He shakes his head. "No problem." He places his other hand over hers and gives it a squeeze. Nodding at her, he pulls away. "If you can give me five…" he pauses, looking at her stretched out on the bed, robe tangled under her, hair tousled and framing her face, face flushed and eyes shining. "No, make that ten minutes and the hot water will be all yours." He smiles, turns and walks out the door. _Should be plenty of hot water. I'll only be using the cold,_ he thinks as he walks into his room.

While he's in the shower, she decides to get coffee going, knowing they're both going to need the caffeine. Finding everything she needs, she pours herself a cup when it's done brewing. Hearing the water turn off, she heads back up to the guest room, scrolling through her email on her phone. Reaching the top of the stairs, she glances up, almost running into a wet, bare, muscular chest. "Oh, shit…" she huffs out, balancing the mug of coffee to keep it from spilling all over him.

He glances away from his phone to see her falling back and he reaches out, grabbing the arm not holding the coffee. "Whoa, I gotcha!" He reaches out, pulling her towards him, keeping her from tumbling down the stairs.

She can feel her face turning bright red and she drops her head hoping he doesn't notice. It was one thing last night curling up on his chest, covered by a t-shirt and crying her eyes out. It's another thing to almost plant her face into his naked chest, covered by a light sheen of water sparkling against his chest hair and smelling clean and fresh. Despite all that's happened, she's still a woman, faced with a younger, physically fit, amazing looking, military man and she can't help where her mind wanders. Steve takes a step back, allowing room for her to pass by. Not letting go of her arm yet, she takes the top step and glides past him, their hips brushing. As she passes him, he doesn't want to let go of her. He wants to take her into his arms again, but for a completely different reason. Holding his breath as she walks away, he stares at the sway of her hips and the curve of her ass. Grabbing the towel at his waist, he's not sure if he should go down for his morning coffee or head back for another cold shower.

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50

"All right," he says, coming down the stairs, "you sure you'll be okay here?" He looks at her sitting on the couch. She looks up at him, her smile putting him at ease.

"Listen, Commander, I know you feel I could be in danger but I don't think anyone will come after me here, in your house. I'll be perfectly safe until my meeting this afternoon."

"What time is your appointment?" He pulls out his phone.

Realizing he's not going to let this go, she relents. "Three p.m. I'm expected alone so no, you cannot come with me. I can't have this deal go south. My boss will not take kindly to that."

"I understand, but you are not going anywhere alone until we find who killed your brother. I think your boss would appreciate Hawaii's finest looking after you." He types into his phone a reminder to be back here by two.

"Commander, being escorted by the governor's task force is not going to help this deal go down." She cannot have him or any cop anywhere near this deal.

"You have no choice, Liz. I'm not letting you wander around this island on your own until we catch your brother's killer. The only reason we figure they killed him was looking for your diamonds. That puts you right in the line of danger, so you get a body-guard until we solve this."

Staring into his eyes, she can see that he's not going to let this go. "Fine, but I have to ask you to do what I say. Please. This is the biggest deal of my career and I cannot have it going wrong. If I don't complete this deal, I'm gonna be without a job." She has to be judicious how she handles this man. He's tenacious and if she's not careful, he'll ruin everything.

"You'll be the boss. I'll just be a simple cop guarding a potential target." He feigns a look of innocence on his face. Smiling at her, he opens the door. "I'll be back here at two. If you're not here, I will find you. Don't make me do that." His face still shows innocence, but his eyes tell a different story.

"I'll be here." She nods at him as he leaves. Watching him get into his truck and pulling out of the drive, she turns back to her laptop. Opening up a secure browser, she types in the private URL and waits.

"I've been waiting. What's going on?" A face appears on the screen.

"I told you, I'm staying with the leader of the task force. He gave me no choice. I had to wait for him to leave."

 **TBC** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	2. Chapter 2

The Meeting: Chapter 2

 

"Does he suspect anything?" The male presence inquires.

"No. Not yet. But he's not stupid and it won't take him long to figure it out. I sent you some information on him. Did you get it?" She sits back on the couch, taking a sip of her third cup of coffee. She really needs to stop drinking this stuff. She's been meaning to switch to tea for some time.

"Yes. He's quite impressive, isn't he? Too bad we can't recruit him." He flips through some pages.

"Yeah, well, with his background, I don't think he would be even slightly interested. I'm surprised he took this task force on. That was certainly out of character for him."

"He had a good reason. You're not thinking about the same thing, are you?"

"Not at all, sir." However, the thought of staying on this island with him held certain advantages, thinking about their run in on the stairs again.

"Any news on your brother?"

"No, but they are working hard. I'm amazed at how they take on each case. They have a remarkable amount of resources and use all of them. They had the house processed in hours and their lab has been going through the evidence non-stop. I wish I could give them any small lead since we both know who killed him. Have you made any progress?"

"Chatter gives us the Tiako family, as we thought. I am inclined to give Five-0 free reign on this one. They have an impressive record and, with a little anonymous intel, they should be able to wrap this up in a matter of days."

"Bryce, don't take any risks for me. Yes, he is my brother and I want his killers caught, but if this deal goes down with no problems, we will get them for much more than just killing Trick."

"Okay, we'll let them work on their own, per your request. You know, you're gonna need to be careful around this Commander. You're right; he's sharp and doesn't miss much."

Thinking back to the look in his eyes as she passed him at the top of the stairs this morning, she KNOWS he doesn't miss much. The sexual tension had wrapped around them like a tight, wet blanket and she was glad to get into a cold shower. "No, he doesn't. He's insisting on coming with me this afternoon as my 'body-guard'."

"What? He's gonna blow your cover. You show up with a member of Five-0 and they're gonna disappear and we lose our only chance to bring them down!"

"I understand all this, but he won't take no for an answer and I'd rather take my chances with him there than to have him hunting me down while I try to do this. He's very stubborn and that can work to my advantage."

"You sure, Mags?"

"I'm positive. It's not a far reach to have the police watching me after my brother was murdered. I can work that angle. As long as he does what I tell him, I'll be fine."

"Looking at his record, I'm not so sure he'll listen to you."

"I can make sure he does." She thinks back again to him in a towel.

"What do you have in mind, Mags?"

"Trust me. He'll do what I say and I'll be fine."

"Well, considering how long we've known each other and worked together, I have no doubt in your abilities. It's **him** I have all kinds of doubt about. He has a tendency to go off script due to the 'immunity and means' he has and if he does that, you will be fucked."

"I can control him, sir. Don't worry." She assures him.

"Normally, I wouldn't, but your brother was just killed and I need to be sure you're okay to finish this."

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she takes a moment. "I'm not gonna lie and say it doesn't bother me, but I can get through this and mourn after. Whether I mourn now or later, he's still gonna be dead. I can do this, sir. I guarantee it."

He nods at her, knowing she can but needing to hear it from her, he smiles at her. "All right. I'm gonna dig a little deeper into the Commander to be sure about him. He seems to be a solid, hard-working man who has put together one hell of a team. You could do worse."

_Oh, I certainly could!_ She hides that thought from showing on her face. "Good. I have a feeling we're gonna be just fine." She signs off, taking her coffee mug into the kitchen and cleans it out. She looks out the window, taking in the breathtaking view and, for a moment, considers staying on here when this job is done. _No, that would be crazy. What would I do here? I'm too young to consider retiring and once they find out who I am and what I'm actually doing here, I won't be able to work in law enforcement. I mean, considering the retirement package I could have and the investments I've made over the years, I wouldn't have to work but I would go insane with nothing to do. What the hell am I thinking? A couple days around this man and I'm thinking about leaving the Company and staying here? Oh, now I am insane!_ She shakes her head and goes back into the living room. Being here by herself, it gives her a chance to look around and see what makes this man tick. She goes from room to room just looking at what he has around. There certainly is a large naval presence but few to no pictures or personal items. She finds it sad to see so few personal items and the ones that are displayed seem to fit his father more than him. She goes into his bedroom, getting a better look than she did last night. She feels as though she's breaking some kind of trust, so she leaves the room. She goes back to the kitchen and decides to go out and enjoy the view out back. Grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge, her laptop and phone, she goes out to the Adirondacks and settles down. Pulling up another secure browser, she signs in and pulls up his file again. She wants to get a complete picture of this former intelligence and Navy SEAL before having to take him in with her. Pulling up his recent history, she accesses any photos. But she can't help thinking about him. It's been so long since she's actually been attracted to a man. She's been dealing with the scum of the earth for so long; it's such a change to meet someone who has morals and standards, albeit sometimes twisted with his means and immunity. She scrolls back through all the documents and history, viewing all the times he's pushed the boundaries of what even the governor could handle. Chuckling to herself, she's astonished at how much he's actual gotten away with while running this task force. Throwing people into shark cages. Hanging them off a roof, shooting them in the leg or strapping them to hood of a car and driving all over Honolulu. Refusing medical help until they give up information or keeping suspects chained in rendition for hours with no contact, water or food. And a big one just this past summer…he'd dumped a suspect in a lava tube as the tide rolled in and left him there until he was ready to talk. The guy almost drowned but McGarrett had insisted he was watching the entire time and the suspect was never in any real danger. He pushes all the boundaries but he gets results. He is definitely a different brand of law enforcement. She can't bring herself to call him a cop cause he's not. He never went to the academy or even took any kind of criminal justice classes. He is one hundred percent military trained and never lets anyone forget it. Glancing up, she is mesmerized by the waves as they roll in. Sitting back, she lets her mind wander, feeling secure enough in this place to let her guard down for a while. Closing her eyes, her mind takes her back to this morning and wishing things had gone differently. _It would have been so easy to grab him and pull him into a kiss right there at the top of stairs. Either bedroom was close and she could've seen him without that towel._ Shifting in the chair, she shakes her head at these thoughts. She can't allow herself to be distracted by him, no matter the physical pull to him or how he held her last night as she let all her grief over her brother's death out. Taking in a deep breath, she vows to keep her mind on the job. Her phone ringing brings her back to reality. Looking at the caller ID, she wonders why he's calling her.

"Elizabeth Conners." She answers.

"This is Mr. Callens' assistant and he has to move up your appointment to one p.m. The meeting place is the same so please, be on time." A young woman's voice states.

"One p.m.?"

"Yes. He will see you at that time." The line disconnects. She looks at phone and puts it down on the table. She looks at the time and hadn't realized she spent so much time out here. She considers not telling the Commander about the time change, but that would just cause more issues down the road. Shutting down her laptop, she picks up her phone and heads back in the house. Quickly, she changes her clothes, grabs her keys and heads out.

Walking into the Palace, she shows her license, gets her visitors badge and is escorted up to HQ. The older uniform officer opens the door for her and walks her over to the Smart Table. Kono looks up and smiles. "Thanks, Bill. We're good." She nods at the older man. He turns and walks back out. "What can I help you with, Miss Conners?"

She considers the young officer in front of her. She may be young, but she's impressive. She knows Kono is an expert marksman, proficient in several fighting disciplines and can hold her own. "Well, I'm looking for Commander McGarrett. Things have changed today I want to at least make an attempt to inform him so he doesn't think I'm trying to duck him." She smiles, hoping to keep Kono off guard.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that. He and Danny are off following up a lead on your brother's case but they should be back soon. You can wait, if you wish."

She looks around and decides it will be to her advantage to wait for him. "I can wait, if it's all right."

"Sure, here, why don't you wait in his office? It's a bit more comfortable than these chairs out here." Kono leads her to Steve's office, opening the door and guiding her to the couch. "Would you like something to drink? I think he has some coconut water and juice in the fridge."

"Oh, no, I'm fine. Thank you." She smiles at her as she takes a seat. Kono smiles and goes back out to the table. She looks around the office and sees that this is where he has made his mark. All the personal items on the walls and the shelves show her who this man is. She smiles at the models, getting up and giving them a closer look. Most are ships that he's served on or have a particular meaning to him. She can easily pick out the Enterprise and the Missouri and knows they're special. Looking at the plaques and certificates of merit on the walls, she notices some are missing. Anyone else would think this man is a little vain, showing off all of his accomplishments on the walls of his office, but she knows which ones are missing and can deduce that it's not vanity that places these here but humility. Some of the biggest citations and certificates are not hanging up and are not hanging in his home, either. She's not sure if it's true humility or if, for some reason, he's actually ashamed of them. So many of them were received from missions where members of his team died. That seems to be the common theme. Not one single one from a mission where a member died is up on the wall. She sighs, realizing that he doesn't want to be reminded of what he probably considers his failures. She stands looking at the shadow box of medals on the wall, going through each mission for which they were given.

Kono looks up from the table when she hears voices. Steve and Danny walk in, arguing over some silly idea of who is more attractive. "What got you going on this topic?" She interrupts.

"Oh, well, get this, we were stopped at a light when a car pulls up next to us with two very attractive women. They look over at us, big smiles on their faces and the one in the passenger seat winks. I say it was at me and SuperSEAL says it was for him."

"Okay, well, I'm gonna stay out of this one since I'm happily married." She smiles at them both. Before they can get back to it, she stops them. "Boss, you have a guest in your office. It's Elizabeth Conners."

Steve looks over, seeing her studying his medals. "I'm picking her up at my house at two. Why is she here now? And how did she get here? I told her not to leave the house alone." He looks at Kono.

She shrugs. "I'm assuming she drove. As for why, she said something about her appointment being moved up."

Steve looks back at her and walks over to his office. She turns as she hears the door open and smiles at him. Danny sees that smile and shakes his head.

"What, brah?" Kono sees him.

"I think that smile means I just lost that argument." He walks over to his office.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" He walks in, letting the door shut behind him.

"I got a call about a half an hour ago telling me the appointment has been moved to one. I wanted to let you know so you don't think I'm ducking you but I have to go."

He shakes his head. "I told you to remain in that house for your safety until I got there. That's why I was picking you up there. Coming here on your own put you in a great deal of danger."

"Listen, Steve, I understand your concern but I'll be fine. I understand you may have other plans and it's not a problem. I can go on my own. This is a preliminary meeting, anyway. Nothing is changing hands. The diamonds are still in the safety deposit box. I only stopped by to let you know." She picks up her jacket and purse off the couch and turns to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" He steps in front of her.

"I have a meeting to go to. As I said, I stopped by as a courtesy."

He crosses his arms in front of him, glaring at her. "Not alone, you're not." He insists.

She glares back at him, his Navy SEAL death-stare not fazing her a bit. "I appreciate your concern and if you want to follow me, fine. But you are not coming into the hotel or to the room with me. This deal is too important and I cannot risk it by having a cop shadowing me." He continues to stare at her, not blinking. "Glad you understand. I'm leaving now. If you want to follow me, you know where I'm headed." She moves around him, feeling his stare following her. Not stopping, she walks out of his office. Noticing the looks she's getting from the rest of his team, she nods at Kono and keeps moving.

Steve follows, glancing at Kono. "I'll be with her. Have Danny follow up on the lead we just checked out. I have a feeling I'm gonna be busy the rest of the afternoon." The look on his face leaves nothing to chance. Kono nods, not speaking a word as she watches him storm out after Liz.

 

**TBC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Be patient. Whumpage/hurt/angst coming up. I promise, in this journey plenty of whump, angst, tragedy, and bromance down the road.**

**This is a long journey and I hope you will stick it out with me.**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Three

 

Steve follows her to the Royal Hawaiian, bolting out of the truck to catch up to her before she gets in the elevator. "Miss Conners?" He places a hand on her shoulder. She turns to him, anger in her eyes. "I'm playing by your rules but you are not going up there alone. We have no idea who killed your brother and I'm not taking any chances." He grips her elbow, steering her to the elevator. "If anything seems out of place, we are out of here." He taps his ear. "You got ears on me?" He says as the door opens and the step in. A couple makes to follow them in when Steve holds up his badge and shakes his head.

"Yeah, boss. Loud and clear." Kono answers.

Steve nods to the couple as the doors close. "Okay, Kono. Keep this line open, got it? I wanna be monitored the entire time." He looks over at Liz who's staring straight ahead at the now closed door. "I told you this was happening. You are not to go anywhere on your own until we solve this, understand?" His eyes are dark and frightening. He sees her nod slightly keeping her eyes forward. Taking that as acceptance, he crosses his arms and stares at her.

She walks into the luxury suite, Steve closely behind her, his badge evident. Stopping not more than a foot behind her, he plants his feet and crosses his arms.

"Why have you brought the police with you? You were told to come alone, my dear, were you not?"

"I apologize, Mr. Callens, but I'm sure you are aware that my brother was recently murdered. Commander McGarrett feels that I could be in danger and insists on watching over me until his killer is caught. I hoped you would understand."

"Yes, I had heard about your brother. I am sorry for your loss. But, still, to bring police, not to mention a member of Five-0, with you is upsetting."

"I did not wish to reschedule or miss this meeting, sir, nor do I wish to upset you. If it would be better, Commander McGarrett would be willing to step out into the foyer while we conduct our business." She hears a grunt from behind her. Not reacting, she continues to look directly at Callens.

Thinking for a few seconds, he nods, "That would be acceptable. Milo, please escort the Commander back to the foyer." He motions to one of his associates standing closest to Steve. Milo makes to take Steve by his arm, "I would NOT do that." Steve states. "I will not leave Miss Conners alone at this time."

"Steve, what are you doing? Go outside. You know you can 'watch' her from there. The bug you placed on her allows us to hear and see her position. Pull back, Steve." He hears Danny in his ear with his words of wisdom.

Liz turns to him, "Please, Commander, there will only be a wall separating us and I doubt anyone here will be harming me. We are just here to conduct business. THAT is all." She stares coldly at him. Looking around, noticing all the firepower and the fact that he is seriously outnumbered, no matter how good he is, he relents and nods. Turning, he goes out the door to stand in the foyer. Milo follows, closing the door behind him. Steve stands staring at the door, feet planted, arms crossed over his chest, blank face. Internally, he was biting his tongue to keep from taking this guy out and going in after her. When she suggested that he come out here, he almost blew it. He was ready to grab her and get her the hell out of here. His 'spidey-sense', as Danny would put it, is off the charts and he needs to be in there with her. This entire set up feels wrong and his instincts are to get out and never come back. Something is off but he just can't put a finger on it. Besides, he feels useless just standing here, staring at the door as if he can see what's happening on the other side. He can feel Milo move toward him. "Again, I wouldn't." He warns him.

"I need you to step away from the door."

Steve shakes his head, "I came out here willingly, but I will not move an inch from this spot until she walks out this door. Just as you, I have a job to do." He continues to stare at the door. "Steve, don't do anything stupid." He hears in his ear.

Milo steps back, not giving an inch, either. Steve can feel his presence but chooses to let it be as he concentrates on extraction routes and plans if things go south.

Thirty minutes later, the door opens and he can hear voices. Not moving, he waits until he can see her before moving. She smiles at him, hoping to let him know everything is fine. He moves to her side, taking her by the elbow. "Well, Mr. Callens, I will see you in two days for the final transfer. I hope our next meeting will be a little more relaxed." She shakes his hand.

"I'm certain it will, Miss Conners, I'm certain it will. Again, my condolences. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you, though it seems you don't need any protection." He nods at Steve before turning back into the room.

Steve tightens his grip on her elbow and guides her out of the suite and into the hall. She starts to say something, but he quiets her with a single finger, steering her to the elevator. Once inside, he turns on her. "What in the hell do you think you're doing!? Telling me to stand outside? How can I protect you if I'm on the other side of the door? You EVER do that again, I will personally see that you are placed in a cell for your own protection until we catch this killer." His face gets red and she can see he's visibly vibrating with anger. His eyes, previously an olive green, are now a brownish-green and angry. She considers telling him everything but her training keeps her mouth shut on the subject.

"Listen, I'm sorry, Steve, but he was not going to do business with you in the room. I told you that. It was the only thing I could do. I've told you how important this deal is and I needed to get it made in any way possible."

"Is it worth your life? Huh? You can get another job, Liz, but not another life." He grabs her by her shoulders, giving her a slight shake.

It's on the tip of her tongue to tell him all. Looking into his eyes as they change from brown to blue, indicating his concern instead of anger, almost convinces her to let him in. She opens her mouth to tell him and the elevator doors open. Closing her mouth, she allows him to guide her from the small room and out the front door. Handing the valet his ticket, they stand in silence, waiting. He opens the truck door for her when it stops, takes the keys from the valet, paying the young man and gets in. Pulling away, she can see his jaw clenching in anger again as he tries to calm himself before saying anything.

"Steve, I'm sorry things went down the way they did, but it worked. I made the deal and we meet in two days for the final exchange. I will provide the diamonds, he will transfer the money, and the deal will be done. I can then leave this island and you will no longer have to worry about me."

Steve's heart jumps a little at those last words. He doesn't want her to leave. "Two days? What exactly is going to happen in two days? Final exchange? You're not telling me you plan on carrying $4mil in diamonds around with you? Are you at least going to meet at the bank?"

"No. I am again, meeting him in his suite."

"You are certifiable."

"Could be, but I know I'll have you at my side making sure I'm safe." She smiles, knowing she's right.

Nodding his head, he grins knowing she's right. He's not going to allow her to travel alone on this island carrying $4mil in diamonds without him at her side. Sighing, he asks, "When is this final exchange to go down?"

"Thursday, one o'clock. I turn over the diamonds once I verify the money has been transferred. Then I get to go home and enjoy my commission." She relaxes into the seat, being glad when this job is complete.

"Okay, well, we'll need to coordinate every detail. This time, I will NOT wait outside. You need to be sure Callens understands that." His tone leaves no room for negotiation.

She knows she can't argue at this time. She's going to have to confer with Bryce sometime in the next twenty-four hours. He will want to know about this situation. This was not what they had planned. Of course, they'd not planned on her brother being murdered, either. Bryce almost pulled her out after that happened but she convinced him she was fine and could finish. She needed to be here when they caught his killer.

Pulling into the parking lot at the Palace, he turns off the engine but doesn't get out right away. Putting his hand on her arm, he urges her to wait. "Liz, your brother was gunned down in his own home and the only reason we can find is you and the diamonds. We checked his background and nothing popped. He wasn't into anything illegal nor was he involved with any one capable of doing this. It was a professional hit. It has to connect to the diamonds in some way, so the only option we have is to follow that lead. And that lead is you." He turns to look at her, his eyes a soft blue-green now.

He has a chance to take a good look at her and he likes what he sees. She's in a skirt down to her knees, dark purple, with a yellow, body hugging, sleeveless shirt and a matching jacket. She had on simple shoes, with a two-inch heel, which brought her close to his height. Her hair is wavy, hanging just past her shoulders, in an auburn color. It's parted on the right side, with it put back behind her ears. She wears very little jewelry, only a single ring on her right hand, a watch on her right wrist and a simple heart necklace, no earrings. As he noticed last night, she's in fantastic shape, her arms showing off a good set of biceps and triceps, strong shoulders, a trim waist, rounded hips and amazing legs. He puts her at about five nine and a hundred forty pounds with about fifteen percent body fat. Even with all that, he's drawn to her face. Full, natural lips, high cheekbones, near perfect teeth when she smiles, yet it's her emerald green eyes that draw most of his attention. When he looks at them, he feels himself drawn into their depths and he doesn't want to look away. He notices her eyes on him and give a small smile.

Blinking slowly, she swallows back the lump in her throat at the mention of her brother. Other than last night, she's not had any time to grieve for him properly. She so wants to give up control of everything…let the military man take the reins and run the rest of this operation. The exhaustion of the last nine months is quickly catching up to her and the death of her brother has nearly broken her. As she opens her mouth to speak, her training kicks in and she says the opposite of what she was going to say. "I understand, Steve. I really do. But I cannot allow you to interfere with this transaction in any way." Holding up her hand, she stops him from speaking. "I am fine with you making any contingency plans if something should go wrong, but you will have to wait outside again while we conduct our business. I will request that it be just him and I in the room so you don't have to worry so much. Will that be acceptable?" She turns her head to him, eyebrows raised.

He searches those emerald eyes, looking for any sign of duplicity but finds none. "We'll see." He answers, opening the door. She lets out a sigh as she reaches for door handle and finds the door opening for her. Seeing him holding out his hand, she takes it and slides out.

"Thank you."

He bows his head, shutting the door, taking her by the elbow again and guiding her into the office. Not stopping for the team, he maneuvers her into his office, closing the door behind him. He leans against his desk, looking down at her as she takes a seat on the couch. "What?" She looks up at him.

"I'm just trying to figure you out. One minute you're full of confidence and the next, you're like a frightened schoolgirl."

Her mind starts working, trying to figure out how to appease him. "Well, I mean, my only living relative was just murdered and I might be the reason why. I think that might tend to wreak havoc with my emotions, don't you?" She questions him.

Studying her, he again looks for dual meaning in her words. He thought the feeling he had at the Royal Hawaiian had to do with the business being conducted, but the feeling has continued right here into his office. Something is not right, but he can't place it. _That would be one explanation but there is more going on here. I can't help but feel as though I'm dealing with two different people._ "That may be, but you must understand that you are not the reason he's dead. You can't think that way. It was just an unfortunate incident that he got caught up in. If I'm to be honest, they were probably after you and if you'd been there, you would be dead, too." She takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I'm sorry to put it so bluntly, Liz, but you need to understand the danger you could be in. If they are after the diamonds, you are definitely a target and we need to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't join your brother." He moves and sits down next to her.

Out at the table, the rest of the team try to look busy, but it's obvious they are sneaking peeks at the two in the office. "What do you think is going on?" Danny finally asks.

"Well, I'm waiting for Steve to go off on her. I mean, no one tells him to leave the room and gets away with it. I bet he was ready to blow a gasket on that one." Lou chimes in.  
They all nod, discreetly watching the two. As they watch, they see her pull her phone out of her purse, look at Steve and see him stand. Moving back around the table, they all look down as he walks out of the office. "What?" He barks, his best aneurysm face showing.

"Just making sure you don't scare the poor woman away, buddy." Danny slaps him on the back.

"Why would I do that? We were simply discussing what's gonna to happen on Thursday and how its gonna work."

"Well, she did force you out of the room at one point."

"Yeah, she did. We discussed it and it will not happen again. Anything else?" He looks at each one.

Danny holds up his hands and walks to his office. Kono goes back to the table, working the evidence. Lou and Chin just walk away, looking for something to do. Steve paces outside his office, waiting for her to finish her call. He sees her wave him back.

"Everything okay?" He sits behind the desk.

"Oh, yeah. That was just my lawyer regarding Trick's will and his estate. I'm sorry to have put you out of your office." She slips her phone back in her purse.

"No problem. Listen, the rest of the team has everything under control and I don't want you heading back to house alone so I was thinking I would appoint myself your official bodyguard and follow you back. We can relax, go for a swim or try your hand at surfing, if you like, and then I can grill us up a couple of steaks. Whatcha think?" He sits back in his chair, watching her.

She knows he wants to keep an eye on her and find out what she's up to. Well, she's been at this too long to allow him to trip her up. "A nice long swim sounds good. I've been wanting to get in the water and your beach looks nice and relaxing." She smiles at him.

"Great! I'll let the rest of the team know and I'll meet you downstairs."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Be patient. Whumpage/hurt/angst coming up. I promise, in this journey plenty of whump, angst, tragedy, and bromance down the road.**

**A/N2: One more of a little background. I mean, I have to develop the characters a bit, right? Hope you enjoy this long chapter.**

**A/N3: Hope the changing POV doesn't confuse you too much. It's just the way the muse had me write it!**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Four

 

He hears the lanai door open and he turns to see her as she makes her way to the Adirondacks. He'd changed as soon as they arrived back and was eager to get out in the water. He hadn't had a chance to get his swim in this morning so this was the perfect time. She lays her towel across the back of the empty chair and pulls her cover-up off. She was in a one-piece but he wasn't disappointed. It still shows off all the curves, which he notices, are all in the right places. "Ladies first." He holds out his hand to allow her to go ahead. Of course, he had ulterior motives for wanting her to go first. Watching her walk out to the water, he appreciates the female form that she has. Smiling, he follows her into the water and dives under. Thinking he would have to slow things down a bit, he's shocked when he breaks the surface and finds her several yards ahead of him. Putting his head down, he catches up to her, and looks over. "Think you can keep up?" He yells over the sound of the water.

"Bring it on, sailor!" She puts her head down and digs in.

Bursting out of the water, he races her to the chairs. Grabbing his towel, he's laughing the entire time as he watches her grab hers. "A little slow, there, Liz. Ya gotta keep up." He laughs out loud.

She laughs at him. "Well, considering that was my first time in the Pacific Ocean, I think I kept up pretty well." She dries herself off and puts her cover-up back on. Sitting down, she stretches her legs out in front of her. "Oh, but that felt good!" She laughs again.

Glancing over at her from his seat, he thinks that he likes to hear and see her laugh. She has a loud, genuine laugh that puts a smile on his face. "Hey, wanna beer?"

"I'll never turn one down."

"Be right back. Don't go anywhere." He jumps up.

She watches as he sprints into the house, appreciating that muscular, toned body as it moves. Sitting back, she relaxes listening to the water and the waves as the move up on the beach. Closing her eyes, she allows the sounds to rock her, helping her to unwind from the last few days. She's so focused on the waves, she doesn't hear him come back, full six-pack in hand.

Gently putting it on the table, he studies her. Again, it's as if she's two different people. Right now, she's a confident, relaxed, and very alluring. Back at the office, she was unsure, frightened and looking to please. He can't put the two of them together. The way she's stretched out on the chair, he feels as though this is where she belongs. He wishes he could find a way to get her to stay so he could get to know this woman better. It's been a while since he's been so comfortable with a woman. He usually feels pressured to do something, or not. He couldn't figure it out. But Liz, he feels no pressure for anything. He feels more relaxed and happy than he's felt in a long time. Yeah, he hangs with Danny all the time, but to be able to sit here and talk to a woman, well, he hasn't had someone to talk to like this for months and it feels good. Pulling a cold bottle from the pack, he gently places it against her hand.

"Hmmmm, that feels good. Thanks." She grabs the bottle, twisting off the cap. Taking a long drink, she keeps her eyes closed, focusing on the sounds all around her. Steve sits and looks out over the water. "How do you live here and not find yourself just sitting out here all the time and forgetting about things like work and responsibilities? Cause I would have a hard time taking anything seriously if I had this in my backyard." She sighs, stretching again.

"There are days I feel that way, but just like anyone who might live in the mountains or any other exotic location, it becomes a part of life and you gotta pay the bills, right?" He takes a drink, putting the bottle on the table.

"Yeah, but it would be hard. I'd be out here all the time either sitting like this or in the water. Beats the hell out of an East Coast winter." She chuckles.

"Oh, I remember those. Sometimes, I actually miss the snow, especially at Christmas. Otherwise, I can honestly say, I don't miss the blizzards and nor'easters that go through that area."

"You lived out there?"

"Yeah, Navy, remember? Annapolis. Spent a few years there and am very familiar with winter weather."

"Sorry, forgot. Yeah, I guess you would've seen a few bad storms."

"How long have you been there?"

"Too long." She takes another drink. "Twenty years or so, from Boston down to Norfolk. Most of the time I've been in New York, though. Harsh winters and miserable summers. Now this, "she waves her arm across in front of her, "I could get used to." Opening her eyes, she looks at him, grinning,

"It is easy. I'll admit to that."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, when did you leave here? I mean, how old were you when you headed to the mainland?"

Steve considers that for a few minutes, using the beer as an excuse not to talk. Thinking back to that time, it's something he rarely talks about and certainly not to people he barely knows. "I left here when I was in high school. My dad thought it would be best for me and my sister to go to the mainland. I went to military school on the east coast and she went and lived with our Aunt Deb in LA. We rarely saw each other and I never returned to this island until…" he pauses, not understanding why he's telling her this. He clears his throat and takes another drink.

She can feel his unease. "Listen, Steve, you don't have to…"

He holds up his hand, "No, it's okay. It's been awhile since I've talked about this. I didn't return to this island until my father was targeted and murdered. I hadn't spoken to him in years. When I was fifteen, my mother was killed by a car bomb. At least, that's what we were led to believe. I found out two years after I returned here that she faked her death and was alive and living off the grid. She'd worked for the CIA before she met my father and was hiding from them and other enemies for twenty years. She said she did it to keep her family safe but things happened after I found her that led me to believe different."

She looks over at him, seeing the change on his face. His face was blank but she can see the pain in his eyes. She knows about his mother and what she's done. In fact, she knows more than most in his life. "I'm sorry, Steve." Is all she can say.

He nods in acknowledgement. "I've pretty much made my peace with the situation. She hasn't been back here in over three years and no contact whatsoever. So, it's just Joanie, Mary and I."

Reaching over, she places her hand on his forearm just for human contact. _He's so lonely. As much as he has his team, his o'hana, he's still very much alone. I think he invited me to stay here to have someone else around. Coming home to this big, empty house has to take its toll on him. With Mary and Joanie living in LA, he's as cut off from his family now as he was in the Navy. It's good he has his family here to keep him grounded but he wants more. I can see it in his eyes when he talks about Danny and Mary. He wants a family of his own._ She feels his free hand close over hers, a gesture of gratitude.

They sat in that companionable silence until the sun set. At that point, Steve gets up, starts the grill and makes a simple, yet fantastic feast. They talk of nonsense, laughing at silly jokes and bad puns and she keeps him talking about himself, whether his time in the Navy or stories of the team here on the island. She reveals very little about herself not wanting to have to keep her stories straight. Moving from the dining table to the kitchen sink, she washes while he dries. Watching as he puts away the last plate, she realizes that this is the most enjoyable evening she's had in years.

"What?" He folds the towel, placing it on the counter top.

"Nothing really. Just thinking that this is the best evening, I've had in a long time. Thank you." Without realizing it, she leans over to him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. For a moment, she thinks he's going to kiss her as she gazes into his eyes, losing herself in their depths. But only for a moment. She steps back before that can happen and turns to the living room. "Feel like watching some pointless TV?" She curls up on the couch, picking up the remote. Smiling at her, he goes to the fridge, grabs a couple bottles of beer and plops down beside her. He's never been one much for regular TV, but she makes it sound so useless, yet fun that he can't resist. Feet up on the coffee table, arms on the back of the couch, he watches as she flips through the channels. Finding an old movie, she puts down the remote and settles back to watch. He finds himself glancing at her out of the corner of his eye and finds watching her as enjoyable as the movie. Again, the feeling of being with two different people hits him as she watches the movie and he can't shake it. _I could really like this woman sitting here on my couch right now. Not the woman at the meeting earlier today, but this warm, caring, adorable woman sitting next to me and I want to take her in my arms and do things to her I shouldn't even consider. I know she kept the conversation on me this evening. I have nothing to hide so I didn't mind, but I want to know more about her. I want her to tell me everything about her from her first memory to her first kiss to her first love. I want it all._ His attention is drawn back to her physical presence as he feels her curl up next to him, head resting on his shoulder, hand absently resting on his ribcage. He grins to himself and turns his attention back to the TV.

 

H50H50H50H50H50

 

Blinking rapidly, he frowns trying to remember where he was. He sees the shadows on the walls from the light coming from the TV and focuses on the head of hair in front of his face. Not quite remembering how he got in this position, he's on his side, head on the arm of the couch; left arm under her head, curled around her shoulders, her left hand gripping his wrist; right arm curled around her waist with her right arm resting on top, fingers entwined in his. She's stretched out against him, sound asleep. Allowing his head to clear more, he remembers her curling up against him as they watched some old, suspense movie. He relaxed completely, just enjoying her company. He remembers dozing as they made themselves more comfortable on the couch. Blinking slowly, he doesn't want to move. _This feels so right, though it shouldn't. She fits me perfectly and I feel as though I've known her my whole life. How can this be? I'm so at ease with her. It scares the shit out of me._ Feeling her shift, he can hear her breathing increase and feel her heart beating faster. Concentrating on slowing his breathing and heart rate, he closes his eyes so as not to make her feel uncomfortable with the situation.

She slowly opens her eyes, squinting against the light from the TV. She feels his arms wrapped around her and she never wants to move. _I feel so safe here, right now, with him. If we just stay like this, nothing can hurt either of us. Why do we have to move? How can I have found someone with whom I feel so happy and protected and can do nothing about it? He doesn't even know who I really am. How could he ever feel this secure with me if I ever have to tell him? He'll never trust me again, so nothing can ever come of this._ Oh, she'd toyed with idea of having fun while here and, when the deal is complete, say good-bye with no plans ever to return. She would have some great memories to take home and hopes he would, too. After hearing about his early life, about so many stories here with his team and knowing what she knows about him, she can't bring herself to do it. He deserves so much better. But this, this situation right now was so right. She feels him trying to slow his breathing and he's failing miserably. Smiling, she closes her eyes again reveling in the wonderful feeling of being in a man's arms she's not trying to take down. Subconsciously, or maybe on purpose, she pulls his arms closer around her, scooting closer to him, feeling his entire body against hers, his arms around her and his breath on the back of her neck. She sighs as she feels sleep calling to her.

He feels her pull him closer, wrapping herself in his arms. Slowly, he feels her fall back into a deep slumber and he can't consider waking her now to move to their prospective beds. Relegating himself to being her big, life-size teddy bear for the night, he allows himself to fall back asleep.

"Yo! Time to wake up, sleeping beauty!" He hears from the end of the couch. Blinking at the light coming through the window, he looks down at his feet to see Danny standing there, mug of coffee in his hand. "Let's get moving, Rip. I think you overslept." He grins at Steve, sitting down in the recliner.

Steve looks around realizing Liz is nowhere to be found. His arms are empty and he feels sadness because of it. Sitting up, he clears his head and pulls out his phone. "It's almost eight."

"Ya got it, buddy. And here I am waking you up. When did you start sleeping on the couch in your clothes, to say the least?"

"Um, I must've fallen asleep watching TV. Where's Liz?" He rubs his eyes, trying to bring things into focus.

"She's upstairs taking a shower so you're gonna have to wait until she gets done." Holding up the mug, "She makes a fantastic cup of coffee, I gotta say." He takes another sip.

"How long have you been here?" He frowns at the mug in Danny's hand.

"Maybe ten minutes. Enough time to get a great cup of coffee and watch you in your sleep. You're cute." He teases.

Giving his partner his best aneurysm face, he stands, stretching his tall frame. "I can't believe I slept this long. I never oversleep like this." He scrubs his hands over his face, still trying to fully wake up. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he looks up to see her coming down, hair in a towel and robe wrapped around her.

"Hey, morning, sleepy-head." She grins at him. "I started coffee; though I guess you figured that out already and I'm gonna make some eggs and bacon, if that's all right with you?" She stops, hands resting on the back of the recliner.

"Well, that sounds great to me. But you didn't ask me, did you?" Danny pipes in.

"You're more than welcome, Danny, if it's all right with Steve?"

Starting to think that last night was a dream, he nods. "That's fine. I can be down in ten." He walks over to her, making sure he stops where Danny can't see him. He questions her with his eyes and she smiles at him, touching his arm with her hand. _Okay, that wasn't a dream. I haven't slept through a night as I did last night in years. God, it feels so good!_ He grins at her and heads upstairs. Stripping as he walks into the bathroom, he turns on the shower and steps in. Taking an extra minute this morning, he allows the hot water to run down his entire body, feeling rested for once. Finishing his quick shower, he grabs a towel, wraps it around his waist and walks out into bedroom.

"So?" Danny says from the doorway.

"What?" He answers, knowing exactly what he's being asked.

"What? That's all you have to say? You need to improve your vocabulary, my dear Steve. What happened?"

"When, Daniel? What are you asking me?"

"Really? You're gonna make me do this? Okay. You left early yesterday, had a great dinner and I find you sleeping on the couch, which you NEVER do. What do you think I'm asking about?"

Steve rolls his eyes, "My god, Danny, she lost her brother not four days ago and has no one else here on the island. She may be the next target so we have to make sure she's safe. What did you think was gonna happen?" He pulls pants and a shirt out, throwing them on the bed.

"Oh, come on, Steve, you can't tell me you haven't thought about it? I know you've been 'Saint Steve' recently, but how can you not? She's a gorgeous woman and is staying in your house. How could nothing happen?" He grins at his best friend.

"Maybe cause I'm a gentleman and not an animal, as you constantly remind me." He sits on the bed. "And, no matter what she shows on the outside, she's mourning inside and it ain't gonna happen that way." Grinning at Danny, he knows if things were different, they would not have slept on the couch last night.

"You are crazy, but I gotta respect you. You are a better man than me right now, buddy."

"Whatever." He drops the towel and starts to get dressed, ignoring Danny's protests. Turning and all but running out the door, Danny nearly runs into Liz in the hall.

"Is he in there?" She heads for the door.

"Yeah, but he's not dressed yet. What's going on?"

"I need to go to Trick's house." She pulls the towel from her head, running her fingers through her hair. "I left the key over there."

"What key?" He asks.

"The one for the safe deposit box; the one holding the diamonds." She gives him a look of despair.

"Wait, didn't you get them out yesterday?"

"No. I had a couple samples with me but the rest are in the bank and the key is with the rest of my things that are still at Trick's."

"You are not even thinking about going there on your own, are you?" Steve demands.

"I need that key today. I need to do a complete inventory before two o'clock." She yells through the wall, Danny blocking her way.

"You'll need to wait. Danny and I have a meeting with the governor this morning and the rest of the team are working a case. I don't have anyone to spare right now. You'll need to just sit tight until this afternoon." He states, matter-of-factly.

Shaking her head, she looks at Danny, pleading. He shrugs his shoulders with a 'he's the boss' look. "Whatever." She walks to the guest room, breakfast forgotten.

Steve sticks his head out of the door, shirt in hand, pants unbuttoned. "Wait, where'd she go?" He looks at Danny. He motions to the guest room. "I know what you're thinking, Liz. You cannot go there alone." He walks down the hall and into the guest room, pulling the shirt over his head. "Promise me you will not go over there by yourself." He looks at her.

She's standing next to the bed in her camisole, bra and underwear, jeans in her hands. Wide-eyed, she can't believe he just walked in on her. She shakes her head and continues to get dressed, pulling on the jeans.

"If you can't promise me, then we'll have to figure something else out." He hides his reaction well to seeing her half dressed. It always seems more provocative this way than a bathing suit. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he hits a speed dial and waits. "This is McGarrett. I need to reschedule my appointment with the governor. What? Yeah, well, I have a potential target who needs protection. No, I understand that we've put this off twice already, but…" he listens for a moment. "Okay. I'll figure something out." He ends the call, stuffing the phone back in his pocket. "You'll come with us." He states, turning back to the hall.

"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding?" She snorts at him. "What am I, ten years old?"

He stops and turns back to her, noticing how well the jeans fit her. "If you can't promise me you'll stay here, then I guess I need to treat you like a ten year old." His face is blank and unemotional.

She walks around the end of the bed, stopping a foot away from him. "I am a grown woman who is more than capable of taking care of herself. I do not need a babysitter." She clenches her jaw as she speaks.

_This is the woman I am not attracted to. She definitely has two different personalities._ "Oh, if I thought you needed a babysitter, I'd be calling Jerry." He moves close to her, speaking just loud enough for her to hear. "Liz, I have a bad feeling about you going to that house on your own. I don't want you hurt in any way, so please, humor me?" He stares in her eyes, looking for the woman from last night.

She has to get that key and she understands that he only has her best interest at heart, but she can't stand being treated like a helpless individual. Seeing the shades of blue in his eyes, she can see how concerned he is so she relents. Dropping her gaze, she nods slowly. "Fine, but I am not going into the governor's office with you. I can sit out in the lobby."

Putting his finger under her chin, he brings her gaze back up to his. "Thank you."

She nods again, pulling away from him. She can't allow herself to get too emotionally involved. Last night had gone too far and she needs to nip this in the bud. "Give me ten?" She asks, grabbing her shirt off the bed.

He nods, not sure just what happened.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Be patient. Whumpage/hurt/angst coming up. I promise, in this journey plenty of whump, angst, tragedy, and bromance down the road.**

**A/N2: As promised, though not the whump you may be expecting. Don't worry, that's in the works!**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Five

 

Steve pulls up to the house, gazing nervously around. "All right, let's make this fast." He gets out of the truck, opening the back door for Liz. She steps out, picking up on his unease. Searching the perimeter, she sees nothing out of the ordinary and heads to the front door. "Danny, keep your eyes open. Something feels wrong here." Steve warns him. Following close on her heels, Steve keeps her from opening the front door. Taking the keys from her, he unlocks the door and slowly moves into the room. He holds his hand up and proceeds to the left toward the kitchen. Danny comes in behind her, motioning for her to stay put and goes to the right and the bedrooms. They both come back, hands off their guns and clear the house.

"Can I go get the key now?" She asks, mildly annoyed.

"Fine. Why don't you grab the rest of your things and bring them over to the house. I don't want you staying here alone until we catch the guy who killed your brother." Steve suggests.

Thinking that might be a bad idea, she starts to disagree when a bullet whizzes by her head. Dropping to the floor, she crawls to the couch, using it as cover.

Behind her, Steve and Danny both drop, too, and crawl to the alcove that leads into the kitchen. Steve looks around, trying to gauge where the shots are coming from. Bullets are flying all around them. Steve and Danny are trapped in the alcove, whereas Liz is in front of the couch. He knows if he doesn't do something soon, she is going to be in trouble. Looking over at her, the look on her face confuses him. He expects to see fear or shock but instead he sees determination and a quiet calmness. Before he can do anything, she's moving across the room and pushing the chair away from the wall. Steve turns as he hears glass breaking and sees the gas canisters landing on the ground. They have no defense for those and if they don't all move, they are dead. A plastic mask lands at his feet, as does one at Danny's. "Put them on!" He hears her yell. Looking up at her, he sees she already has one on her face. She motions for the both of them to put the masks on before the gas envelopes them. He grabs the mask and places it on his face, the elastic band over his head. He'd read about these. They were supposedly only in the experimental stage. They were said to be lighter weight, work better than the old type and they had the latest in computer technology built in. They are only for short-term use and this is definitely the right situation. He realizes that as soon as he slips it on. It conforms to his face to create an airtight seal and the eye-screen adjusts so he can see through the gas. He looks at her, complete surprise on this face and sees her pull out extra clips and a gun for herself. Turning, she slides the extras over to him and Danny, nodding to them. Steve smiles at her, not sure what else to do. Suddenly she raises her weapon, directly over Danny's head and fires. Steve turns, weapon raised in time to see the gunman fall to the floor, bullet hole centered between his eyes. Focusing back on the firefight, he motions for Danny to watch their backs, as he concentrates on the rest of the room. He watches as Liz moves back across the room, using the couch as cover and looks out the front bay window. She signals there are four that she can see. As she tries to get a better look to the left side of the house, Steve hears a shot ring out and sees her go down. He tries to get over to her, but gunfire keeps him trapped where he is. She signals him she's okay and he can see the bullet went through her right bicep. Knowing they don't have long, he looks around, formulating a plan. By now, they've calculated that the gas has done its job and the three of them are down. Motioning to Danny to take the kitchen, he signals to Liz to watch the front and that he has eyes on the hall to the bedroom. In what seems like hours, but only moments, the gunmen breach the house and the ensuing firefight is vicious, but quick.

Steve stands, looking around at the damage. Six hostiles lying on the ground, all dead. Danny walks in from the kitchen, two more dead on the floor in there. He looks over at Liz, seeing her still sitting on the floor. He's quickly at her side, pulling off his shirt and wrapping it around her arm. Helping her to stand, he can hear the sirens as HPD makes their way. He can only assume the neighbors had called as soon as the first shots rang out. He tries to get his mask off but it's stuck. He hears her chuckle and looks over. She places her fingers just under his chin and he feels a whoosh of air as the mask loosens and she slips it over his head. He mimics the motions for hers and nods to Danny, showing him how to get his off. "Please, put these back in the wall and close it up." She asks, adding her gun to the masks, as Steve helps her to the front door. He tosses the items to Danny, gesturing for him to put them back and close it up. As they walk out of the house, the first HPD squad cars pull up and the officers get out. He quickly tells them what happened and orders them to secure the area. Looking up, he sees an ambulance pulling in and steers her towards it. "I'm fine. It's through and through and doesn't feel like the bone or any major arteries were hit." She tries to pull away. "You are NOT fine. You can barely stand without help. You ARE going to let them look you over and make sure there's no other damage. I won't take no for an answer." He maneuvers her to the waiting truck. After getting her settled with the EMT's, he walks back over to his partner.

"What the hell was that?" Danny asks him as he looks around. "What did we walk into here?"

"Not, sure, buddy, but it's something big and well planned. They were prepared."

"Think she knows?" He nods over at Liz.

Steve follows his gaze, wondering that himself. She has to know something. This is her brother's house, who was killed here not two days ago. She says she's here to broker a diamond sale and that all the diamonds are in a safe deposit box. So why did these guys attack them here? After coordinating with HPD and CSU, when they arrive, he now takes the time to check on Liz.

"So, what the hell was that in there?" He glares at her with his best Navy SEAL death stare. She looks up at him from where she's sitting, an amused look crossing her face. Staring back at him, her gaze flicks from the EMT to Danny and back to his face. Shaking her head ever so slightly, he reads her signals perfectly. To the EMT, "Give us a minute. I can finish," and to his partner, "give us some space, Danny." Danny starts to say something, but Steve motions for him to keep quiet and walk away. Huffing, he reluctantly moves away, going to talk to a couple uniforms not far away. "Okay, we're alone now, what's going on?" He moves to her right side, picking up the gauze the EMT had put down and begins wrapping over the bandage on her arm. "Where the hell did you get those masks? They're only in the experimental stage, or so I thought. In addition, the extra clips and gun? What was all that doing in a hole in the wall? Who the hell are you?" He asks quietly. Finishing the bandaging, he leans against the door of the ambulance, arms crossed over his chest. Looking up at him, she can't help but notice how brown his eyes look, staring at her intently. Just a bit ago, they were the most beautiful color of green. She knows he's angry and decides to tell him everything. "Special Agent Maggie Finneran. I have been undercover for the last nine months, trying to take down a large crime family operating out of Philadelphia. I've been meeting with the underboss of that large family here in Oahu to broker the sale of $4mil in diamonds. These diamonds are to be used to buy guns, drugs and information to help take down another large family, headed out of Tokyo. No, not the yakuza but another large family." Steve is not sure whether to believe her or not. Her actions definitely are those of a trained specialist but he's not sure what kind of specialist. She could be part of the family, trying to talk her way out of this situation. "I know what you're thinking. Once they're done processing, you can find my ID in the wall along with my badge and gun; it's my crash kit. I'd appreciate it if you'd wait to get those, as I really don't think letting everybody know who I am will benefit anyone. If you can't wait, you can call my Director, Bryce Hammond, at 202-567-0111. That's his private line and only he knows I'm here and my cover story. He'll be more than happy to verify everything I've told you. I've already vetted you." She tries to gauge his reaction to her declaration. She's feeling relief at finally telling him who she really is. His face shows nothing. But his eyes tell her everything she needs to know. They are most definitely brown.

He glares at her. This explains everything; why he has been reading two different personalities. _Undercover? No wonder. But which is the real Liz…no, she said Maggie. I need to figure this out._ "I'll be right back." He gives her a look not to move. Walking off, he finds a quiet spot on the other side of the cruisers, pulls out his phone and dials the number she gave.

"Maggie?" Steve hears on the other end.

"No, this is Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett. Who am I speaking to?"

"Bryce Hammond here. Is Maggie okay? What happened?" He demands.

"She's fine. We had a little incident here. A GSW to her upper arm, through and through, no major arteries or bone hit. Lost a bit of blood but she'll be okay."

"What happened? Where are you?"

"We're at Trick's house. She left the bank key here and we returned to get it and were ambushed by eight hostiles, all dead. What the hell is going on?"

"Commander, I would love to tell you all, but for her safety and yours, all I can tell you is whatever she's told you, it's true."

Steve looks over at her, wondering what kind of bullshit run-around he's getting. "Listen, I have spent the last three days protecting this woman from a perceived threat which has now become real. I need to know exactly what I'm dealing with. What kind of danger are we dealing with here on my island? What have you allowed to come to my island and not have the decency to inform me?" He demands, not giving a damn who is on the other end. He needs to know, and needs to know now.

"What did she tell you?"

"She revealed that she's been undercover for the last nine months; that she's here to broker the sale of diamonds to fund some kind of turf war between families in Philadelphia and Tokyo; and that you'll verify all this information."

"May I speak to her? I want to be sure she's all right."

Steve walks back over to the rig, putting the phone on back of the rig and giving her a guarded look. "I have her here and you're on speaker."

"Mags, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Bryce. Just a flesh wound. I've had worse." She glances up at Steve from the back of the rig and sees him staring her down. "Listen, I think I need to tell Steve everything. We were ambushed here at the house, meaning we were being watched and from the tats I could see, we're dealing with Tiako. They know why I'm here and they cannot allow the sale of these diamonds to happen. We need him and his team's help." She looks at Steve, hoping he's softening just a bit. No such luck.

"I dunno, Mags. These two families are dangerous and to put his team at risk…well, I'm not sure it's worth it. Do you think your cover's been blown?"

"I don't think so, but I won't really know until I meet with Callens tomorrow and if it is, I could really use Steve and his team backing me up."

"It's your op. If you feel they can be trusted, then I have to defer to your judgment. You're the one out there in the field, not me."

"Okay." She replies, shifting her arm to what she hopes is a more comfortable position. "I think I can use this situation today to my advantage and not have Callens figure it out."

"Are you okay with that, Commander?" Hammonds asks.

Steve grabs the phone, takes it off speaker and walks away, again. "I'll do what I need to do to keep the people on this island safe and if that means backing her up, fine, we'll do it. But if you ever set something like this up on my island, again, without telling me, I promise you, I will find you and make sure it never happens again. "

"I understand, Commander. I do. I have to ask you a favor."

"Really?"

"Look after her. I know she's hurting from the loss of her brother. She was actually looking forward to this op since it meant she could spend time with him. But she can't be distracted by that right now. I know you understand how dangerous that can be. She understood she would be on her own out there and she still took it. She's never backed down from an assignment and she's not gonna start now. I've worked with her for over twenty years and respect her as I respect no one else. She's turned down promotion after promotion cause she'd go crazy sitting at a desk. She should have my job right now. Please, help her and back her up in that meeting tomorrow. If Callens suspects anything, she's dead."

Steve's face softens a bit. No matter his feelings right now, he can't leave anyone out in the cold. "Fine. I'm gonna have to share this with the team, though. I'm not sending them in without knowing the full story."

"That's Maggie's call. She can tell you everything or only need-to-know. She has the clearance to make those decisions on her own. I just wanna see her make it back here safe, alive and in one piece."

"Good, cause I'm gonna want a full explanation of what's been going on here for the last 5 days." He ends the call. Walking back to her, he stuffs the phone in his pocket.

"Well?"

"I wanna know everything before I make my final decision. And if I do decide to do this, the team knows all, too."

She nods, slipping off the back of the rig. Grabbing her jacket, she turns toward his truck. "Where do you think you're going?" He grabs her good arm.

"To wait in your truck."

"No, no, no. You need to go in and have them look at that."

"Come on, Steve, you know as well as I do that I'm fine. No major injury and if it starts to hurt, I can always take some OTC pain meds. No big deal."

"Uh, yes, it is a big deal. You are a civilian, remember? You need to have it checked out and get any scrips the doctor gives you." He guides her back to rig, helping her back into the back.

She knows he's right, but she doesn't have time to go to the hospital. She needs to get the diamonds and do the inventory. Callens requested it be completed today and sent over to him before two. It was now after eleven and if she doesn't do it, the deal is dead. "I need to get those diamonds, Steve. Callens requested an inventory on them and he wants it before two. If I don't get that over to him the deal's dead and nine months of work goes down the tubes."

He huffs into his hand, thinking how to handle this. "Do you think Callens is watching the bank?"

"I don't know. He could be. I know for a fact the Tiako family will be. They want those diamonds and will do anything to get them." She can see his mind working on another plan.

"Okay, how about this. You call Callens and tell him exactly what happened here, except for the masks and gun you have. Oh, and the fact that you're with the Company, and let him know that you fear for your safety and would prefer to have this go down in the bank. Tell him that you are not going to be able to get that inventory until later today, after you're discharged from the hospital. I think the fact that you were almost killed here may help to convince him to consider that change."

"I dunno, Steve."

"Well, you are not getting those diamonds before two and as you just said, if you don't get that over to him, the deal goes south. I don't think you have a choice. You need to try."

Sighing deeply, she pulls out her phone from her jacket pocket. "Yes, this is Elizabeth Conners calling for Mr. Callens. Yes, it's important. I understand but the situation has changed, so, yes, it's an emergency." She rolls her eyes at Steve as he makes a face at her.

"Hello, sir. I'm sorry to call like this, but there was an incident that just occurred and I am afraid I'm gonna be delayed in getting you the inventory you requested. No, you can probably turn on the news and see coverage. I can see a couple news trucks from where I am. No, nothing serious. A flesh wound on my upper right arm. I'll be fine, thank you. Yes, I was hoping for some understanding. I'm on my way to the hospital so there is no way I can get the inventory recorded and sent to you by two o'clock. I was hoping you would understand and give me more time. Yes, I understand. Well, I'll be honest, I'm not sure if that is still a good idea. If this happens in the open like this, they won't have any issues trying again at the hotel. If we could do all this at the bank, it would definitely allow things to go smoothly. Yes, I think they will still be guarding me. I agree. It can work to our advantage to have them watching the entire exchange and making sure it goes off smoothly. Yes, I think that would be a great idea. Same time tomorrow? Yes, sir, I will have that over to you before six. Thank you." She ends the call, looking at Steve. "There. He's giving me until six tonight to get the inventory recording over to him and has agree to meet at the bank for the transfer of assets. He even asked that you and your team be present to assure him that he will be safe."

"Well, that works right into our plan. Good. Now we can go." He climbs into the back.

"You're coming with me?"

"Oh yeah. And while we're waiting, you're gonna tell me everything." He smiles at her, sitting back on the bench, arms crossed and feet planted.

The young male paramedic climbs in and goes to close the doors behind him. "Hey, Steve. What the hell?" Danny stops the door closing.

"Yeah?"

"Where you going? "

"I'm riding in with Liz. She's not going anywhere alone. Take over here and make sure everything is processed correctly." He emphasizes 'everything'. "Once they're done, be sure to get what we need and take it to HQ."

Danny nods, looking to Liz/Maggie. "Everything okay?"

"Fine, Danny. I'll explain it all after. We'll meet the team at the Palace and go over it all." Steve nods, looking back to Liz/Maggie.

"Roger that, big guy." He closes the doors and the truck takes off.

"I need to get a little history, miss."

"Conners. Elizabeth Conners. Age, forty-four. DOB, 11/16. No food allergies but I am allergic to sulpha. I have Type-2 diabetes and one kidney; I have two rods in my back, one in my leg and two brand new knees. What else?" She provides for the young paramedic.

Steve's eyes widened at the revelation of her medical history. To hear all she's had done makes him feel lucky. He's had his fair share of injuries, but not near what she has.

"Medications?"

She reaches into her pocket, pulling out her phone. Scrolling through, she hands it to him. "Easier this way." She sits back against the stretcher. Looking over at Steve, she sees the questions on his face. "Easier for him to copy from the list than for me to quote them off to him."

"That many?"

"No, but types and dosages are easier to read. That way I also don't have to go through them every time I wind up on the hospital. It's all right there."

Steve smiles thinking she would fit it so well with the team. She apparently has no fear going into dangerous situations. His respect for her increases but he still needs to know more.

The paramedic hands back her phone and makes a couple more notes on his sheet. He picks up his equipment and starts going over her vitals. Steve watches as she takes this all in stride and adjusts his impression of her again. _She's so calm and collected. She's just been in a violent shootout, been shot in the arm, is still a target and yet she's just sitting here as if this is just another day. Damn, she would so fit in with the team._ He smiles, relaxing back against the side of the rig.

Minutes later, they pull into Kuakani Medical Center and unload. Steve approaches the admit nurse and after a quick conversation, Maggie is wheeled into a private area. Moving off the stretcher onto the bed, she thanks the paramedic and settles in. "So, pulled a few strings, huh?" She glances at him. His face hasn't changed since they got in the rig, going from serious to pissed to a kooky grin and then back to serious. Right now, he has that serious look and she knows what's coming.

"Yeah, well we need a little privacy, don't you think?"

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

"Nope. I don't hear everything; you're on your own."

 

**A/N3: Just how much should she tell him?**


	6. Chapter 6

The Meeting: Chapter Six

 

She looks at him, not believing what he just said. "You wouldn't." She glares at him, daring him to look away.

"Fine, I wouldn't but I won't bring the rest of the team in not knowing what the true danger is. You and Hammond have given me the basics, but I need to know everything. Any and all specifics about this op."

"Hand me my bag." She says, holding out her hand. Taking it from him, she pulls out her laptop, types in the secure server and pulls up the op details. Handing it over to him, he reads through it, shaking his head every once in awhile.

"You agreed to do this on your own? No back up here?"

"Only the local FBI office, if it came to it. They know nothing about me being here, but if needed, Bryce could get them involved. What we did not expect was Trick being murdered and you getting involved. Now it seems I won't need the FBI, thank god, if you're willing to step in."

Steve shakes his head. "You know, I thought I was a crazy SOB for some of the things I've done, but you got me beat. You have to be certifiable to come on an op like this with no back up. Why?"

"It's the way I work. Always have."

"How long have you been doing this?"

She takes the laptop back from him, typing in a few more words. "Well, as you heard, I'm 44 yrs old. Been involved with the Company in some way since I was 19…so, what, 25 years."

"Undercover the entire time?"

"Most of it. Seems I have a talent for it. So, that's where they put me."

He can sense bitterness in her voice. "And this job?"

"I know about diamonds and was the best to handle the exchange. I was to come here, make the exchange and go home. Callens is to continue on to China to purchase weapons and solders. Nothing more was to happen. We expected the Tiako family to follow Callens but somehow they received intel on the diamonds and that I was transporting them. If Callens gets these diamonds to China and the Sala family, they are going to start a war."

"The plan was to track the diamonds and prove what they're being used for to bring the Sala family down, right?"

"You got it. All the diamonds are tagged so when they move, we can follow. Once they're in play, the Company would call in law enforcement and take the entire family down. That's why it's so important this deal go down. Think the Godfather. This family has been in our sights for a long time, but we could never get close enough or get enough evidence. I went under nine months ago, working my way into the organization. I had to prove myself. When this opportunity presented itself, I took it. The Sala family is one of the most feared, violent and brutal families on the east coast. I couldn't say no."

"What about the Tiako family? Aren't they just as dangerous?" He nods at the laptop, having read the dossiers on both families.

"There are other agents. They've been under for almost two years. Once we take down the Sala family, they will have what they need to bring down the Tiako."

Steve nods, knowing how important this is to her. He's gone under for maybe a week or so, but to be under for nine months says a lot. One pretty much is living as someone else the entire time. She can't break her cover at all. He's seen too many times what happens to UC's when they step out, even if only for a few hours. "What's your plan for us, then?"

"Well, you've already been introduced so you would continue your role as bodyguard. With what's happened I would ask the rest of the team set up a perimeter around the bank and keep an eye out for the Tiako. I'm afraid that one of our agents may have been compromised and that is where they're getting their intel. If that's the case, they are gonna be out in force to do anything they can to stop this exchange from taking place. There's just one thing I have to ask and it's gonna be hard."

Steve smiles, knowing exactly what she's gonna say. If Callens is spooked in any way, he may walk out with the diamonds but they will never see the light of day. "If the Tiako show up, you need the team to put them down quietly, right?"

She nods.

"Well, I think we can manage that. Give me a minute." He pulls out his phone and walks to the door. Stepping outside, she can't hear what he's saying but she can see his face and the only way to describe it is eagerness. He looks absolutely thrilled. This is what he lives for. The planning, setting up and, finally, executing. After another minute, he comes back into the room, closing the door behind him. "Well, the team will all be at HQ once we get out of here. Tell them what you just told me and I think they'll be more than happy to cooperate."

"Thank you. Did you find out if Danny was able to get my things, along with the key?"

"Yes, he did. Don't worry, we'll get them out for you. I know you think it will be a problem, but we have it covered. If anyone says anything, you sent a courier to get them for you."

"Steve, if anyone suspects…" she stops when he holds up his hand.

"No one will suspect anything, okay? It won't be anyone that can be connected with Five-0. It'll be fine."

She sits back, her arm starting to bother her. She takes a deep breath, clamping down on the pain and pushing it down. She can't be sidelined by an injury now. Steve notices the deep breath and recognizes it for what it is. "Hurting?" Her head comes up at that question and she can see concern in his eyes. She nods, still trying to push the pain away.

"You said you've been doing this for 25 years. I'm guessing you've brought down several hundred in that time?" He fishes for more information.

Trying to relax back on the bed, she studies him. "Not really. I was a long term UC, though most that I brought down were big families or bosses."

"How long?" His brow furrows.

She's hesitant to give him that information. She is familiar with his history and understands all he is capable of. She also knows he's familiar with normal UC protocol and her 'assignments' were anything but normal. "My average time under was 32 months. The longest was 5yrs and this current one looks to be the shortest."

Steve's eyes go wide at that information. "Five years? How do you stay under for that long? And who allowed that?" His eyes grow dark at that, his anger evident.

"I took down one of the strongest crime families in the US. It reached across the entire country. Once I was in, they didn't want me out until we knew we could bring the entire network down. We were successful and saved millions of dollars from hitting foreign soil and saved hundreds of lives from being sold, slaved out or killed."

He walks over to the bed and sits down on the edge, near her hip. "But five years? How did you manage that? Most that go beyond 18 months wind up blurring the line between their real life and their cover. They wind up crossing that line and end up either in jail or dead."

She nods, knowing exactly what he's talking about. She's seen many fellow agents try to match her record and wind up just as he said. "As I said, I have a talent for going undercover."

He shakes his head, unable to wrap it around what she just said. _Five years? How can anyone stay under that long and be able to come out and move on? I chased the Hesse brothers for that long and was ready to let the insanity get to me when it ended. And I wasn't undercover, just chasing them all over the world. Yet she stayed under for that long, came out and moved on as if nothing had happened? How can I not have mad respect for this woman?_ "That's one hell of a talent. So, exactly how many families have you brought down?"

"Ten, maybe twelve."

"All big ones?"

"Oh, yeah. Pretty much while you were chasing international terrorists all over the world, I was bringing them down here at home."

He takes her hand in his, rubbing his thumb across the back. "That's why you're up in the middle of the night. Why you reached out to me the other night for comfort? A kindred spirit of sorts." His voice fills with sadness.

She squeezes his hand. "Yeah. Sometimes you just need someone to hold you, you know. You happened to be the unlucky one when I snapped. I'm sorry to put that on you the way I did. I just couldn't take any more after my brother was killed. It was the last straw."

"Hey, don't apologize. It's fine. I'm glad I was there for you. I sometimes need that contact as well." He chuffs, taking her hand in both his.

Ignoring the pain that shoots through her arm, she brings her hand up, running the back of her fingers down his cheek. She feels the pain in that one line. His sorrow is evident and she yearns to take it all away.

"So, what have we here?" The nurse asks, opening the door. Steve immediately lets go of her hands and stands, clearing his throat. She walks over and picks up the tablet. "I see here. GSW to the right upper arm." She looks at Maggie. "You realize we have to report this."

Steve turns around, holding up his badge. "Don't worry. Already done."

"Oh, I see." She walks over the the bed and begins to undo the bandage. Maggie hisses when she removes the pads on either side of her arm. "Well, I must say, whoever wrapped this did a good job. Was that Mark?" She throws the bloody bandages on the table.

"Uh, no, he did it." Maggie points at Steve

"Really? Where was Mark?"

"We, um, needed some privacy so I finished bandaging her arm. I have medic experience so it was no problem." Steve gives his best effort to avoid any more questions.

"Okay, well, let's get you fixed up here."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"I think that went well, don't you?" He asks, glancing over at her from the driver's seat.

"Oh, yeah, Steve, that was fan-fucking-tastic. Absolute joy." She crosses her good arm over the sling and shrugs down in the seat.

"Come on, it could've been much worse. You didn't even get a full-force Danny rant."

She frowns at him and looks out the windshield.

"Li…Maggie, you can't be mad. Considering what they just learned, I think they acted appropriately. You can't blame them for being a bit upset." He glances at her, seeing her not move, he tries another tactic. "Okay, listen, they agreed to back you up. You're calling the shots; they're willing to follow your lead and have your back. They could've just walked away, but that's not who they are. No matter what they've been told, they will do whatever is needed to be sure you're safe and this deal goes down. You can count on that." He turns into his drive and pulls up to the gate. Parking, he turns the engine off and turns to her. "I know they were a bit rough and said a few things that should've been kept to themselves, especially Danny. But their hearts are in the right place."

She closes her eyes. "I'm sorry, Steve, but I am not used to having to work this kind of op with anyone else. It's hard for me."

He smiles, dropping his head a bit. "I CAN tell you that they would not have given you such a hard time if they didn't already like you. If they'd all just kept quiet and accepted this with saying nothing, THEN you should be worried."

Sitting up straight, she looks sideways at him. Nodding her head, "Okay, okay, I got it. I appreciate everything you and your team are doing for me."

Putting his figure under her chin, he turns her head to him, "They're your team right now, okay?" Smiling, she nods again. "Good, now, I'm starved. What do you feel like?" He reaches over and opens his door.

"I make a pretty good chicken enchilada. Think you got the makings for that?"

"If I don't, I'll get them." He shuts the door and runs around to the passenger side as she gets the door open. "Let me." He opens it all the way, holding out his hand to her.

"Ever the gentleman." She comments, sliding out of the truck.

"Gotta be sure you don't face plant in my driveway." He grins, closing her door, putting his hand on her back and guiding her in the front door.

Two hours later, after a trip to the store where he made her promise she wasn't going to run out and do anything crazy while he was gone, and a disastrous moment when he tried to help, they sit down to an amazing dinner. "You mean to tell me this has very little fat and less than 800 calories? That's amazing!"

"A couple of substitutions and it takes out a lot of the fat. Thank you." She smiles at him, loving having someone to cook for.

"If I'd known you can cook like this, I would've come up with some excuse to not cook for you. Damn!" He shovels another forkful in his mouth.

She watches him eat, smiling and enjoying her own. Finishing in comfortable silence, he cleans up while she heads out to the Adirondacks. Not wanting to dull his senses any tonight, he grabs a couple bottles of coconut water and joins her. "So, the last couple nights we have focused on me. Now that you've been outed, how about you tell me about you?"

She closes her eyes, knowing the question was coming. "Steve, how about we don't and say we did?" She lays her head against the back of the chair.

"Oh, no, I'm sure you vetted me. I'll be honest, I tried to vet you up while you were telling the team everything and got squat. So, fill me in."

She sighs, "Yeah, you won't find anything. As I said, only Bryce knows who I am and where I am. My profile hasn't existed for years. Too dangerous to have anything on paper or in the system. I only exist behind massive firewalls and level 8 clearance."

"Level 8? That doesn't exist."

"Yeah, it does. Not many know about it. The fewer who can find me, the better."

"I can understand that, but what if you're injured? Lose your memory? What then?"

She chuckles, shaking her head. She puts the water on the the table and turns towards him. Pulling up her shirt, she pushes up her bra slightly and reveals a small tattoo placed between her breasts.

For a moment, he wasn't sure what she was doing. When he sees the tattoo, he knows what it is. "Wow, a rapport. I've heard about them but you're the first one I've ever seen with one." He gets up and takes a closer look.

"They're pretty much restricted to hardcore UC's like me. Anyone seeing it just assumes it's a weird looking tattoo. But, if medical personnel input it in their system, it sends out a code and alerts those in the Company that I may be in trouble. I've only had to use it once." She puts her shirt down, looking up into his eyes, only inches from hers.

"Interesting placing." He grins.

**A/N: Again, all ideas come from my twisted imagination. Think Steve likes the tattoo? Any and all feedback is welcome!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks to all those who are reading this. Hope you are enjoying it!**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Seven

 

"Yeah, that's as close as you're getting, McGarrett." She pushes him away. "Sit down, you animal." She laughs, using Danny's favorite pet name for him. He plops back in the chair, grinning like a Cheshire cat and takes a long drink from his water.

"So?"

"You ask the questions and I'll answer what I can." She knows she won't be able to reveal everything for one reason or another, but she'll do her best. He's right about one thing: She does know almost everything about him…that's on paper, at least.

"Okay." Not used to being on this side of a conversation, he thinks for a few minutes. "You said you've been with the Company since you were 19. What kind of training did you receive? I mean, if you're first assignment went for 5 years, when did you have time for any training?"

 _Wow, he gets right to it._ "Well, I graduated high school at sixteen. I showed promise even at that age and they showed interest. Two months before my eighteenth birthday, my parents signed a waiver and I was shipped off for training. I'd graduated at the top of my AP class and, to be honest, I'm pretty good at everything I learn and tended to exceed my teachers and instructors."

"Really?" He raises his eyebrows in disbelief.

"I can show you all my grades and scores. Always in the top 2-3 percent. Of course, I have an unfair advantage."

"You must. But I'm gonna have to call you on this. I need to see these scores and grades." She gets up out of the chair and head into the house. "Where are you going?"

"To show you. I'll be right back." He hears the lanai door close behind her.

Gazing out at the water, he allows it to work its way into his soul and calm him. _How do I process all this? She's definitely not the person I thought she was yet she's perfect for this team. I can't believe she's that, good, though. Gotta see this._ He closes his eyes while he waits, allowing the waves to sooth him.

She walks back out carrying her laptop. Something about this man brings out her competitive side. She's read all the stories about him and how good he is and she feels she needs to bring him down a notch or two. However, though she never went to Annapolis, Langley, or Quantico officially, her scores compared to the best. So far, she had three records that have yet to be broken, two of them he placed second behind her. Because she had never 'existed', he has always been listed at the top. Walking up behind him, she leans over the back of the chair, placing the laptop on his lap. "Read 'em and weep, McGarrett." He opens his eyes and looks right into hers. "I don't think you're gonna like what you see. I'm sure you remember your scores." She continues to lean over the back of the chair as he looks down at the screen. As he reads, his eyes become large, blinking several times, as he comprehends what he's seeing.

"This can't be right. There's no way." He mumbles. She walks around to the other chair and takes a seat. "I mean, I can understand the coursework but marksmanship? Obstacle course? No way." He looks at her.

She shrugs. "I told you, I have a talent for this kind of work. Granted, I've never been a sniper or had any reason to try, so I know I'm not near as good as you, or even Kono, but I could hold my own, if necessary."

"Well, if that shot you took at the first hostile that entered the house is any indicator, you're definitely still good." He remembers that shot, hitting right between the eyes.

"Unfortunately, those kinds of shots I've had more than my share of practice." Her voice drops, filled with regret and sadness.

"Many?"

"Enough. A couple were sons of the families with which I was under. I know they were good shoots and it was self defense, but it's still hard when it's someone so young."

Steve understands that sentiment. He'd done the same type of thing more times than he wants to think about in his time in the Navy. Hell, even during his time here on the task force he's had to shoot young people who refuse to listen to him and put their weapons down. Too many cops have had to experience that. "It comes with the job. Doesn't make it right or a good thing, but sometimes it's a necessary evil. I know."

She wishes they hadn't gone down this road, now, not wanting to talk about how many she's had to shoot or kill. She's not proud of that part of her career. Changing the focus, "What else?"

"Well, do you like UC work? I mean, you've been doing it for so long, I guess I kinda know the answer to the but what do you like about it? Why'd you do it? Is it something you wanted to do?"

She thinks back to her start in this career path. It was a very rocky start, but once she found what she excelled at, she stuck with it and it's been pretty good. Here goes. "When I first started, I got a rush out of being under. Of knowing I wasn't who I said I was but only I knew it. I was young and I was easily amused. It was a game at first. When I penetrated that first family as deeply as I did and couldn't get out without dying, I sobered up and began to take it seriously. I saw, and did, things that shocked me yet there was no way out. The longer I stayed under, that line became very blurred. Then two things happened: one, Bryce became my handler and two, I met my husband."

 _She's married? Wait a minute. She can't be married? She's been flirting with me since she got here. She can't be._ "You're married?" Shock in his voice.

"Not anymore. It was a long time ago. He's gone now." She states.

"What happened?"

"What always happens in a marriage between a civilian and law enforcement. Can't take the long time away or waiting for the inevitable phone call or visit telling him I was dead. It didn't help I was gone for months at a time. He went away."

"Oh, god, Maggie, I'm sorry." Is all he can think to say.

"It's done. I can't go back and change it. I moved on and I guess so did he." She has had no contact with him since that fateful day he left.

"How long were you married?"

"About three years. The five-year assignment ended and we had a couple weeks together before I started another assignment. I was gone for a year and when I returned I had to testify about the previous case. When the time came for me to leave again, he all but gave me an ultimatum. Go and so does he or stay and we can make a life together. I didn't have the skills to survive in the regular world and he didn't make enough for us to live the way we were. So I took the next assignment and that was the end. The job always comes first, right?" She takes a drink. She knows she should tell him the whole story, but it wasn't the right time.

"Oh, shit, Maggie, that's so wrong."

She just smiles and nods her head.

He thinks about that situation and decides that, although he's had his share of heartache, he can't imagine being married and having someone leave you that way. "So, uh, how did Bryce becoming your handler fit into it?"

Glad to change the main subject, she jumps into this story. "He became my handler about 42 months in. He was livid about the fact that I'd been under for so long. And that it was my first major assignment just added to his ire. He took over and, after reviewing everything, started to slowly help to extract me. It took almost a year to get to the point where I could be moved out without threatening my life and when it happened, well, I was never happier to be out of any situation. I was buying what I was living and he helped me to move back into real life. I would've been lost without him."

"That's why you're so close?"

Nodding, she takes another drink. "Yeah. He saved my life. I can never repay him for that. After, he made sure I was never under more than 36 months. Together, we brought down most of the major families in the US and helped to bring down several terrorist agencies across the world."

"You mean, some of the intel we received at NI came from you?"

"Good chance. I wasn't involved much in what was done with the information I turned over. I just moved on to my next assignment. I'm a field agent and nothing more. Paperwork and politics just aren't for me. As Bryce told you, I turned down several large promotions cause I don't want to be stuck behind a desk."

Steve understands. He loved the idea of the task force but didn't realize how much paperwork is involved. "I understand that." He chuckles.

Over the next few hours, he continues to ask about assignments and tries to get more personal information about her, but she manages to only give him minimal amounts. He finds it frustrating, especially since he's employing his best interrogations techniques yet she feels no need to tell him.

Gazing out over the ocean, only lit by the almost full moon, they've been quiet for a bit. She'd finished her water a while ago and she needs to use the bathroom. Looking over at him, she can't tell if he's fallen asleep or not, but considering the day he's had, she knows he needs to sleep in his own bed tonight. Standing, she moves in front of him and gently grabs his hand. "Come on, big guy, let's go pour you into your own bed. You'll hate me in the morning if I allow you to sleep out here." She tugs on his arm with her good one.

Slowly standing, blinking quickly, he smiles at her. He was almost asleep when he heard her stand and was hoping she was going to find some reason to curl up beside him. "You gonna tuck me in?"

"I don't think you've needed to be tucked in for quite a few years. I think you can do that on your own." She leads him inside. Locking the door behind them, she throws the empty bottles in the recycling bin and follows him upstairs. Glancing at the clock, she can't believe how long they were talking. "Let's move it, McGarrett. It's very early in the morning and we both need a good night's sleep to be on our best for the day to come."

"What time is it?"

"Two-thirty. We can get at least four or five hours if we hit the hay now. So move it!" She shoves him forward, up the stairs.

He stumbles up the stairs and stops at the top. "Maggie, I hope you feel as if you can tell me anything. I understand more than you'll ever know. So, if you need someone to talk to, please, let me know." He takes her good hand in his.

She takes a deep breath. _God, if it were possible for me to stay here, I would. I'd tell you everything right now. But I can't. If everything goes well today, I'll be gone in two days and we'll probably never see each other again. Damn, that makes it even more tempting to drag him into his room and see if he's as good as he thinks he is!_ "Thanks." She says, squeezing his hand. Pulling hers out, she moves to the guest room before any more can happen.

Steve watches her walk away. All that he's learned tonight gives him a different perspective on her. She's been through so much in her career. When this is all done today, he needs to sit down with the team and discuss her. She can't go back. There's nothing there for her but here, she could make a good life for herself. With this team. _With me._

Going into his room, he closes the door behind him, strips off everything and climbs into bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.  
************************************************

Walking out on the landing outside her room, she can just see his form cutting through the water as he makes his way back to the beach. She'd thought about joining him, but nixed that idea to take a long, hot shower. If her calculation is correct, there should be just enough hot water left for one of his 'Navy' showers. Her breath catches in her throat as she watches him burst from the water and jog up the sand, grabbing his towel when he reaches the chairs. Not knowing he's being watched, she gazes unabashedly at him, appreciating that male physique. She's definitely had her share of men in the last twenty years, but none as fit as he is nor as good-looking. She knows that all the feelings she's having are due to the tragedy of her brother's murder and the excitement of the final exchange today. She feels alone and is looking for human contact. Stepping back into her room, she knows she needs to keep all this inside and block it. She'll be leaving the day after tomorrow and going back to her life, such as it is. After her debrief, she'll be off on her next assignment. She needs to concentrate on what is going on today; get it done and get out of here. Any more time in this house and she'll find herself sneaking into his room in the middle of the night and doing something she knows would be a mistake. Grabbing her jacket, purse and phone, she heads downstairs. She hears him come in the back as she's making the coffee and preparing breakfast. "Hey, you want some breakfast?" She hollers out at him.

"Uh, sure. Whatcha making?" He peeks his head around the doorway.

"Just some eggs and toast. Coffee, of course."

"Great. I'll be down in five." He heads up to his room.

Doubling the eggs, she gets the pan on the stove and the bread on the toaster. As she watches the eggs, her mind wanders. _What would happen if I stayed here? I mean, I could live in my brothers house, once everything is repaired and cleaned up. He left it to me. It's almost paid for and is in what seems like a nice area. It's far enough away from here that I wouldn't be tempted. I wouldn't have to worry about working right away so I could do some work on the house, making it mine, for a few months. That would keep me busy._ She stirs the eggs as they start to cook. _I'm tired and want to live life as me for a while. If I'm honest, I'm tired of the undercover work but if I tell Bryce that he'll stick me on some desk or in some room, working intelligence and that would kill me. Either way, if I go back, I'll be doing something I no longer have any desire to do._ She hears footsteps behind her and she concentrates on the eggs. "Almost ready." She lets him know.

"Smells good. Thanks." He pours a mug, plopping a big spoonful of butter in the liquid.

"Why do you do that? Seems absolutely disgusting." She comments on the butter.

"I like it this way and it's brain power."

"Yeah, well, that you may need." She teases as she pulls the pan off the stove and spoons the eggs onto two plates. Grabbing the toast she'd made, she places the plates on the table.

"Funny, Maggie, real funny." He grimaces at her. "Gotta say, you handle those plates well. Ever think of a career in food service?" He snarks back.

"Been there, done that. Ten years ago, it's how I made my way into a family in Detroit. Worked in their diners for ten months before hooking up with the son and moving into the family home. I was making some good tips since I was just so damn good at it." She smiles at him.

"You're just good at everything, aren't you?" He takes a forkful and his eyebrows go up in surprise. "These are good! What, did you cook, too?" He takes another forkful.

"Last three months there, the cook quit and I took over. Learned the hard way how truckers and union guys like their eggs and steak."

"You keep cooking like this and I might just have to find a way to keep you on this island!" He finishes his and eyes what's left on her plate. Chuckling to herself, she pushes her plate over to him. "You sure? You need to eat."

"I'm good. Couple pieces of toast here and what I did eat and I'm good. I knew I wouldn't be eating as much. Never do before I meet. Nervous stomach." She pushes the plate again. He grins, grabbing it and cleaning off what she left.

"'m just the opposite. I need to eat like twice as much as usual before a big day. Burning up lots of nervous energy. Need the fuel." He finishes his coffee and goes for another mug full. This time, he just adds some milk. "You want some?" He holds up the mug.

"Definitely NO caffeine. Nervous enough. I don't need to add to it." She shakes her head.

He sits in the chair next to her. "Hey, it's gonna be fine. We'll be in the bank, surrounded by security guards and I'll be there right by your side. Okay?" He puts his hand on her forearm.

She takes a deep breath and nods. She's unusually nervous and can only contribute it to the attempts on her life yesterday. Things like that occur after she's out of the picture or somewhere safe, like the back of a police cruiser. It could also be that she's bringing in the team on something that could potentially get one or more of them killed. Even with that being the case, they all stepped up and volunteered to be her back up outside the bank, keeping an eye out for the Tiako and take them out, if needed. The amount of guilt she would feel if any of them were hurt, or god forbid, die would drown her. The way they have treated her is amazing and she can't be more grateful. However, if anyone gets hurt…

"Hey, why such a serious face?" He interrupts her thoughts.

Shaking her head again, "I'm so grateful to all of you. You know you don't have to do any of this, don't you?"

"We know. But, you need the help and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let someone get killed on my watch. We recognize you as part of the family and we always have family's back."

"I can't thank you enough." She leans over and kisses his cheek. She feels him squeeze her arm again and she drops her head. Swallowing hard, she can't let any tears fall right now. Being told she's part of the family is more than she can handle right now, so she pushes down those feelings and moves into her alter ego. "OK, Commander McGarrett, I think it's time we meet up with the rest of the team and finalize the plan." She stands, picking up the plates and puts them in the sink.

"Leave em. We'll get 'em tonight." He assures her.

"You're sure."

"I promise." He follows her out of the kitchen.

*********************************

She watches as Callens walks out of the room, diamonds in his case. She had the confirmation of the wire transfer and she handed him the merchandise. He'd thanked her, wished her a speedy recovery from her recent injury and left. "Come on, Maggie, let's get out of here." Steve says in her ear. She nods, closing her laptop, placing it in her bag and preceding him out. Touching his ear, "Danny, any sign of the Tiako?"

"Nada, buddy. It's been quiet out here."

"I don't like it. Makes no sense that they wouldn't show. They've tried two different times to get these diamonds and now they just give up? No, I don't buy it."

"Me either, but we've seen nothing. Just get out there and we'll head back to HQ and figure it out from there."

"Be sure Callens is followed. I wanna be sure they don't try to take 'em from him. I know he's got his own security, but it's my island and I will not allow a war to start here."

"You got it, big guy." His com goes quiet.

She walks out of the elevator and looks into the eyes of the second-in-command of the Tiako family. "Good afternoon, Miss Conners." He greets her. Steve's hand goes to his gun. "I wouldn't, Commander. I have back-up and you'd be dead before you can get it out of your holster." He glances around.

Steve follows his gaze and sees several other members around the floor. Moving slowly, he moves his hand away from his gun, putting it on Maggie's back.

"Now, I think we need to have a little discussion, Miss Conners." He sweeps his hand toward an office off to the left.

"Let's go." Steve takes a step, but is stopped.

"No, Commander, just Miss Conners. You will stay out here." He motions to one of his associates. He comes over to stand next to Steve.

"I don't think so…?"

"Mr. Kamakasu, Commander. Well, you can either stay out here voluntarily or we can make you stay out here." He nods to his associate who pulls open his coat to reveal the gun beneath. "I wouldn't want any innocent civilians hurt because of your stubbornness. So, please, make your decision."

"Commander, I'll be fine. Don't worry." Maggie puts a hand on his arm, her eyes pleading with him not to make a scene.

"Fine. Door stays open." He demands.

"Oh, Commander, it's funny that you think you're in control." He motions for Maggie to move into the office. Turning, she walks into the room, followed by Kamakasu and three others.

"Steve, we're right outside and can move at a moment's notice. What do you wanna do?" He hears in his ear. "Steve, can you hear me? If so, nod. I can see you from where I am."

Slowly, Steve nods, trying not to draw attention to himself. Placing his body between the window and the other Tiako in the bank, he motions that four are in the office and he can spot five more in the bank. "Got it. Give me a sign when you want us to come in." Steve shakes his head. "Steve, we can't just let them get away. Right now, they're holding an entire bank hostage and no one even knows. They have Maggie in an office where no one can see what the hell's going on and, I'm sure, more than one with their sights on you."

Steve motions that there are eight civilians still in the bank and they can't protect them. Again, he shakes his head at Danny. "Okay, you're making the call on this one. I'm still not sure how they got in there, but we have the building surrounded so we can get them on the way out."

At that moment, Steve hears a crash come from the office, followed by two loud thuds and gunfire. "Forget what I just said, get in here now! Move it, Danny!" He moves to the office door, encountering two Tiako. Moving quickly, he dispatches the two of them with deadly accuracy and opens the door. She has her back to him, breathing heavy. He looks around the room to see the three associates out on the floor, a broken chair scattered near, a bookend lying next to one and Kamakasu on his knees, gun to his head. He can see a bullet buried in the wall across from where Maggie's standing. He hears shouting and fighting behind him, but no gunshots and then all is quiet. He feels Danny come up next to him, gasping as he takes in the sight before him.

"What'd you do, Steve?"

"Nothing, Danno."

"You mean, she took out all four?"

"Apparently." He approaches her, gently. "Hey, Maggie? You okay."

"She has gun to my head, ready to pull the trigger. What do you think, idiot?" Kamakasu screams. "And who the hell is Maggie?"

"Call me that again and I'll be inclined to leave the room, closing the door as you wanted and leave the two of you alone." Steve snaps at him, standing next to her. "Maggie, come on, look at me. You okay?" He puts his hand on hers, covering the gun with his. As if in slow motion, she turns her head to him and he's shocked by the look in her eyes: pure animalistic hatred. "Hey, Maggie, it's okay. You're safe. We're here now. Let me have this." He coaxes the gun out her hand. "That's it." He holds it out in his left for Danny to take, not letting go of her hand with his right hand. Kamakasu, knowing the gun is gone, turns, the matching bookend in his hand and swings it at her middle. Without thinking, she blocks his arm with her leg, grabbing the heavy object, twisting it out his hand and brings it down, hard, over his head. He falls to the ground, unconscious. Steve, not having a chance to react, has his SIG out but realizes it's not needed as he watches Kamakasu sink to the floor. She drops the bookend next to him and looks up at Steve again. All he sees in her eyes now is defeat and sadness. She puts her left hand on his upper arm and suddenly, her eyes roll up in her head and she's dropping to the floor. His reflexes back, Steve reaches out and catches her before she goes down, pulling her to him. "Shhhh, it's okay. You're okay, Maggie." He reaches down and picks her up. Carrying her over to the couch in the office, he puts her down, sitting next to her and placing her head in his lap.

"Steve, what the hell was that?" Danny leans over, checking on Kamakasu. Feeling a strong heartbeat, he pulls out a zip tie, pulls his hands behind him and places it on Kamakasu's hands. "She keeps pulling this shit on us. Did you know she could do something like this?"

"Not a clue, Danny. I mean, she told me about some of her time with the Company, but I had no idea she could do something like this." He looks around at the men on the floor, watching as Danny 'cuffs' each one. "All still alive?"

"Yup. How could she take out four of them and not get shot in the process? She can rival you in the hero business, buddy." He grins at Steve, knowing how competitive he is.

"Whoa, now be serious, man. I don't know about that. Maybe she just got lucky." He frowns at his partner.

"Just commenting on what I'm seeing here. She's in a room alone with four trained guys and takes all of them down. Hey, Steve…I think I was wrong." Danny points to Maggie.

 

**A/N3: Any Comments?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you to all who are reading this story! It means a great deal to me. Let me know that you are enjoying it!**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Eight

 

Steve looks down and sees the blood. Sliding out from under her head, he places it gently on the couch and kneels next to her. Pulling up her shirt, he sees a wound on her side, about two inches in, through and though. Looking up at the hole in the wall, he can now see a slight trace of blood on the wall where the bullet lodged. "Dammit! Danny, get help in here now." He puts his hands on each side, applying pressure to front and back. She jerks and moans as he applied the pressure, her eyes rolling back in her head again as she passes out again. "Come on, Maggie, don't do this now." He moves fingers to her neck, feeling a steady pulse. "Thank god." He puts the pressure on again, feeling her body react to the pain but she remains unconscious. Hearing movement, he feels a body next to him.

"Commander, we're here now. You can let her go. Let me get a look at her." A strong voice says to him. He feels hands over his and he slowly slides his out.

"Come on, buddy, move back so they can work." Danny grabs his shoulder, pulling him back. Steve stands his eyes never leaving her face.

"How long's she been out?"

"Only a few minutes. She seemed fine when we came in. She was standing and even managed to take the guy over there out before he could brain her with that bookend." Steve points to Kamakasu, still unconscious on the floor. "Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out."

"Okay. Most likely shock from the injury. Vitals?" He looks at his partner.

"Pulse…95, pressure…135 over 98, resps…28, good responses, pupils equal and reactive. Skin a little clammy but that's the shock." She reads off her notes.

"Good." He looks up at Steve. "She's gonna be fine. She's in shock from the gunshot, but we'll treat her for that and get her over to Queens." He pulls up her shirt to pack the wound and wrap it when he notices the tattoo. "What's this?" He pushes her bra up a little.

"Just a weird tattoo she got many years ago. She told me about it. Nothing much." Steve tries to cover. That last thing he needs right now is the Company coming in here and rushing off with her. He needs a chance to convince her to stay. After this performance, he knows he wants her on this team and from what she's told him over the last couple of days, she's ready to find something else to do. He can feel it.

The young paramedic looks at him, cocks his head and then nods. He finishes and nods to his partner to go and get the stretcher. She packs her kit and heads back to the rig. He continues to monitor her and shakes his head after another check of her pressure. Steve kneels next to him, "Um, I should let you know that she's diabetic and only has one kidney." He whispers.

The paramedic glares at him. "She should have an alert bracelet or something on her. Why doesn't she?" He demands.

Steve looks around, noticing Danny helping the uniforms gather the Tiako. "Look, she's undercover right now and wearing that could give her away if something happened to her. She leaves it behind with the rest of her identification. I know, it could get her killed, but she can't take any chances of being discovered. Honestly, that's what the tattoo is for. If she were in any life threatening situations, you scanning that into the system would immediately alert her handlers and the doctors would be able to pull up her real medical file."

"Well, then, I should do that right now. She's not in any real danger but they should definitely know what's going on."

"Please, don't. I will let them know and I have her medical history. I can provide that without compromising her cover." He gives the young man his best death stare. The young man, knowing the task force leader's reputation just nods. Opening up the saline drip all the way, he starts to pack up while waiting on his partner. Steve takes her hand in his and closes his eyes, praying she is going to be okay. His entire job today was to protect her and he failed miserably. As much as he knows Bryce is going to rip him a new one it won't come near the punishment he's giving himself. Looking up, he sees the stretcher being rolled in, followed by Lou and Chin.

"She gonna be okay, Steve?" Chin asks from the doorway.

He nods, helping get her onto it and strapping her in. "I'm gonna ride in with her. Make sure those guys are kept quiet. Put that one," he points at Kamakasu, "down in rendition. We can't let anything get out about what happened here and get back to Callens. This MUST be kept quiet." He looks at each one, knowing they understand.

"You got it, brah. No worries." Chin smiles, following Lou back out into the main part of the bank.

Steve follows closely behind the stretcher, climbs in once she's loaded and picks her hand back up as the doors close.

"He okay?" Lou asks Danny.

"Yeah, he will be once she's awake and yelling at him to not blame himself." Danny smiles. "He's feeling guilty that she was hurt and his only job was to protect her. He's gonna take it all on his shoulders until she convinces him there was nothing he could do. You know him."

"Yeah, but I thought I saw more than just guilt. He seems taken with her, you know?"

"No, Lou, he's not ready for that. You're right, though, he has taken this one a bit more personally than usual. But he'll be fine. As long as Callens leaves with no suspicions she'll be leaving here in a few days and he'll go back to his usual moody, unreceptive self." Danny slaps him on the back.

"Guess you're right." He shakes his head, following the second in command.

H50

The first thing she notices is the smell of antiseptic. She wrinkles her nose, hating that smell more than anything in the world. Slowly, she hears sounds…a steady beep, a whoosh of air and murmured voices. She feels something on her arm tighten around it for a few seconds before releasing and more whooshing air. Frowning, she tries to think back to what happened. The voices come closer and she can make them out. "Hey, you with us?" She hears a very familiar, safe, protective, deep voice ask. A feeling of safety comes over her with that voice and she smiles. "Maggie, you awake?" The voice asks again and she feels her hand surrounded by two warm, gentle ones. She tries to open her eyes but the light hurts and she closes them tightly. She hears the door open and close. Turning her head toward the sound of the voice, she tries again. This time she gets them open a sliver and she sees a blurry male form looking at her.

"Steve?" She gets out. Her throat is dry and it hurts to try to speak. Blinking fast, she tries to bring the form into focus. A cold item is placed against her lips and she opens them to allow the cool, frozen water slip into her mouth. Savoring the wetness and coolness, she allows it to slide down her parched throat and opens her lips slightly for more. She is rewarded with more and she sighs deeply.

"I'm here. You're gonna be fine." She hears the deep voice say again. Opening her eyes wide, she finally brings the form into focus and sees the worried look on his face. "Hey, good to see you." He smiles though it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Steve?" She asks again. Her mind's fuzzy, blurred by drugs and blood loss. She struggles to sit up and a blinding pain in her side drops her back to the bed. "What?" She hisses out, her face screwing up in pain.

"No, no, no, stay put. Just lay back and relax." He puts a gentle hand on her shoulder holding her down.

She tries to sit up again, fighting against him out of principle. "No. What happened? Why am I here?" He applies more force.

"Maggie, relax. You were shot, okay? Don't you remember?" He moves to sit on the edge of the bed. "Relax. You're safe. You're gonna be fine."

She lies back on the bed, unable to resist any more, primarily due to the amount of pain caused by any movement. "I was shot?"

"Yes. From what we can gather, Kamakasu got off one shot before you took him down. It went through your abdomen before lodging in the wall. No vital organs hit; it was a clean through and through. A few days recovery and you'll be fine." He squeezes her shoulder.

She looks at his face and for a moment sees the guilt and shame he's feeling before his mask comes back down. "Steve, what?"

"What, what?" His automatic reply kicks in.

She sighs, "Don't give me that bullshit. Why the long face if I'm gonna be all right? You look as if someone caught you in a lie."

He realizes he's gonna have to be careful around this woman. She's sees a lot more than the average person. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"I'll worry about what I want." She studies him until he looks down, avoiding her gaze. "Okay, you need to stop. Just stop, Steve. You can't be everywhere. You can't protect everyone."

"It was the one thing I had to do and I couldn't even do that."

"I told you to wait outside. I made that choice, okay? I knew what I was doing." She winces slightly.

"What? Why the face?"

"I've just been shot; I'm gonna feel pain and discomfort. Get used to it. It wasn't supposed to happen. Kamakasu was never to get a shot off. That surprised me but I recovered and remember disarming him. I never felt anything."

"Right, it wasn't supposed to happen. I should've been there to stop it. In fact, they never should've been in the bank but somehow they got past MY team."

She rolls her eyes. "God, you are gonna be one tough son-of-a-bitch when it comes to guilt, aren't you? Listen to me. You CANNOT protect everyone all the time. I knew what I was going into in that room and what I needed to do. I did what I had to and things went a little south. You have no reason to feel guilty. None what-so-ever."

His eyes go wide, "You mean you went in expecting to take out all four?" He snorts at that. "No way. That's suicide."

"Most of the Tiako enforcers are not known for their intelligence. I knew they wouldn't understand what was happening until it was over. And I remember that's exactly what happened. I did a great deal of research on these guys before I came here, fully expecting they would be here but not take any action. We had no intel that they knew who I was or why I was here. It wasn't until I got here and they showed up that we knew there was a leak. I figured with you and the team involved they might stay away. Guess I was wrong."

"Ya think?" He sits back, studying her. She'd shown him her file and he'd figured she was good but this? Taking on four at one time? Even he tries to avoid those odds, though he's had to dispose of that many and more a time or two.

"What about Callens? Did he make his flight? Were you able to keep this all quiet?" She starts to sit up again. "Ow, fuck." She falls back on the bed.

He shakes his head, "You only learn by doing, don't you?" He reaches over for the bed remote and raises the head. "Let's let the bed do the work, okay? As for Callens, he made his flight with no idea what happened here. We contained all the Tiako in the bank, including Kamakasu, and no one was able to get any info out. No calls went out and we're holding most of them down in rendition until told otherwise."

She closes her eyes, relief flooding her body. "Thank God. If this went bad, we lose any chance of bringing either family down and the civil war that starts would kill hundreds of innocent bystanders. You don't know what this means. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Just doing our job. At least, some of us."

"Give it up, McGarrett. I'm never gonna blame you for this and neither is anyone else. Not even Bryce. He knows how I am and that I would go in alone. If he blames anyone, it'll be me." She frowns, a painful look on her face.

He looks down and sees blood seeping through the gown. "Dammit." He pushes the call button several times. In less than a minute, a nurse and orderly come in looking concerned. "She's bleeding. Maybe pulled some stitches trying to sit up." He gives her a disdaining look.

The nurse moves to her side as he slides off the bed and out of the way. She pulls up the gown and carefully removes the bandage. "Sure enough, he's right. We're gonna have to get the doctor in here and stitch you back up, Miss Conners." She picks up the phone, paging the doctor. "And this time you need to lie still, got it?"

Maggie nods, her face still showing pain.

"Can you give her anything for the pain?" Steve asks from the foot of the bed.

"We will. Don't worry, Commander. I am going to have to ask you to leave, though." She nods to the orderly who moves toward Steve. Not touching him, but letting him know he needs to leave.

"No. I left her alone once today and this is what happened. I'm not leaving her again."

"Steve, go. You have armed uniforms outside and I know you won't go more than a couple feet from the door. There's no way anyone can come in here. I'll be fine. Please. Listen to the nurse." She asks him as the nurse prepares her for the doctor.

"Fine. I'll be just outside the door." He turns to go out. Stopping and turning his head, "How'd you know I had a police guard outside?"

"Cause I wouldn't expect anything less from you." She manages a smile for him and nods for him to leave. Smiling back at her, he leaves as the doctor comes in.


	9. Chapter 9

The Meeting: Chapter Nine

 

"I've made up my mind, Bryce. I need some time off. I'm gonna stay here while the house gets put back in shape so I can sell it. Shouldn't be more than a month or two."

"Mags, you could have time off back here."

"Oh, come on, Bryce, you know as well as I do that you would find something to involve me and that would be that. No time off. At least out here I am guaranteed some quality R & R. You know as well as I do that I've never really taken any true time off. I think I'm due. I have plenty of time accrued and I'm taking it." She walks out on the lanai, watching the waves go in and out.

"Are you sure? You said just a few days ago you weren't staying."

"I'm not. I'm just taking some time off. Please, Bryce, understand. I'm tired. I need to recharge before getting into another case." She sits down, slowly, on the lounge chair, wincing at the pain in her side. "Besides, I'm not really in any shape to be travelling. I'm sorry, but I'm taking some time off and spending it here. I have a house to get fixed and a couple of injuries to recover from so I can't think of a better place to do that."

"Okay. Fine. But I want regular updates on your condition and when you think you'll be back, got it?"

"Yes, sir. I understand." She relaxes back into the chair, disconnecting from the call.

"He's not happy?" She hears from the doorway.

"Of course not. He wants me back there yesterday." She sighs, putting the phone on the table. Shifting slightly, she finds a more comfortable position.

"You okay? Pain level?" He sits near her feet.

She looks at him, gauging his level of concern. "I'm fine, Steve. Just trying to get comfortable." He stares at her, reading her like a book. "Okay, a seven." She rolls her eyes at him. She just doesn't have the energy to cover it up right now. She's so tired.

"Good, here." He pulls a bottle out of his pocket and hands her the bottle of water he had in his hand. "Take one of these. The doctor gave you these for a reason. Don't be a martyr."

She takes the bottle, tapping one pill out and grabs the water bottle. "I just hope you're willing to wait on me after I take this. I won't be able to do much for myself once this kicks in. That's why I don't like to take them." She pops the pill in her mouth and takes a drink.

"I'm not going anywhere. Danny's covering for me today so I can be here. That was one of the doctor's conditions was that you have someone making sure you don't overdo."

"Whatever." She relaxes back and closes her eyes. There had been no major damage done by the bullet in her side, just another couple of scars to add to her already long list. Yet the doctor had been concerned with her exhaustion and vitals. He'd insisted that she be watched for the next few days and come back in for a follow up due to her inherent medical conditions. He'd run extra tests to be sure nothing else was going on other than being exhausted. Steve was more than willing to volunteer to keep an eye on her. It will give him time to figure out how to convince her to stay. He was thrilled when she announced she was gonna be around to put the house in selling condition. That meant a good two months to figure out his plan. Until Trick's house was safe for her to stay in alone, he'd insisted she continue to stay with him. She didn't even fight him on it, which seemed a little out of character but he wasn't going to argue. He can see the need for her to be able to relax and rest. He sees that look every morning when he glares at himself in the mirror. But there's no time for that.

"Listen, Maggie, I want you to know you can relax here, okay? If you want everyone to stay away, just tell me. I can see that you're exhausted, just like the doctor said. I want you to feel as though you can be yourself while you're here. No undercover needed."

She sighs heavily. He's been so wonderful the last week. Taking her in after her brother was murdered; staying with her in the hospital and allowing her to stay here until the house can be ready. If she relaxes too much, she can find herself falling for him. And that would be ridiculous. But there's a bigger reason it's hard for her to stay here. "I don't know who I am anymore." The words leave her mouth before she can stop them.

"What? What do you mean?" He scoots up the lounge chair, closer to her.

She opens her eyes and he pulls back at the look in them. "I don't know who I am, Steve." She can't stop now. She just **feels** she can trust him with anything. "It's been so long since I've had to be myself I don't know who I am anymore. I have absolutely no idea who Maggie Finneran is, besides a kick ass undercover agent."

That revelation hits Steve hard, like a punch in the stomach. During his years with Naval Intelligence, he spent so much time chasing terrorists all over the world he never had time to think about who he was. When he came back home, he took over this task force and that was who he became. He'd never thought about what it would mean if he suddenly didn't have this in his life. He remembers how hard it was for Catherine to adjust to life outside the Navy especially after Billy's death but he never considered she didn't know who she was. It blows his mind to consider that Maggie has no identity outside of UC work. "Well, then, how about we find out?" He takes her hand in his, trying to comfort her. If he's gonna convince her to stay here, it's only right he should help her to figure out who she is. "I already know that you are a good person. You wouldn't do the work you do if you weren't."

She closes her eyes, "I hope you're right."

He moves to the chair next to her, keeping hold of her hand. He wants so much to help her but he's not sure how. The woman he finds so attractive has been missing for the last couple of days, ever since she was injured. She has been withdrawing into herself everyday and he worries she might never come back. Maybe it's the exhaustion or the idea of not working for the next couple of months that has her freaking out. The comment she just made tells him that she's losing herself and doesn't know how to stop it. Thinking back over the last two days, since she was released from the hospital, he can't believe he missed all the signs of her exhaustion and depression. He'd been so concerned about her physical health he didn't see the mental fatigue and clinical depression. He should know all the signs as he's gone through them several times over the years. He considers the fact that he didn't want to see them because it would mean she's in a dangerous place and he doesn't want to believe she could be there.

He leaves her dozing on the lanai as he goes in to figure out what to make for lunch. Working quietly, he takes the two dishes out to the lanai and places them on the table. Walking over to her, he squats down and puts his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Maggie, wake up." He shakes her gently.

She feels the hand on her shoulder and the gentle shaking of her body and she feels as if she's going to be sick. The shaking is like a rocking boat on a torrid sea with no relief. She frowns, not opening her eyes, relieved when the shaking stops. Swallowing hard to keep her stomach in check, she tries to open her eyes. Feeling as if she's drunk, she blinks several times, eyes rolling back in her head a couple times, as she tries to bring herself to consciousness. Opening her eyes, her drug-addled mind can't process what's in front of her face. The face was blurry and floating in the air. She tries to focus but her head and body feel heavy, her mouth dry. Running her tongue around her mouth and over her lips, she blinks a couple more times, her eyes inability to focus beginning to frustrate her. "Steve?" She mumbles, running her tongue over dry lips.

"Yeah. I'm here. You okay?" He kneels next to the chair.

Opening her eyes wide, she glares at him trying to see his face clearly. "Uh, this is one of the reasons I don't like to take pain meds. I feel woozy and drunk." She tries to lift her head and fails miserably. "See what I mean when I said you'd have to wait on me hand and foot?"

He chuckles, "What about your pain level?"

She frowns, her brow scrunching up and her eyes closing. "Hmmm, about a three? Maybe a four?" She shifts a bit to test it. "Yeah, a four." She relaxes her body and pushes the pain down into the back of her mind.

"Manageable?"

Running her tongue through her dry mouth, she nods. "Yeah, most definitely." She looks at his face again, more in focus now. She sees the concern on his face and feels it through his hand on her forearm. "Just feel out of sorts. Head full of cotton and mouth feels like a desert." She clears her throat.

He reaches for the bottle of water he'd placed at his feet. "Here. Drink some of this." He stands, walks back over to the table and grabs her dish. "I think you'll feel better if you eat something." He hands her the dish.

"Oh, god, no, Steve. I can't eat feeling like this. Stomach feels like it wants to rebel right now."

"Maggie, you need to eat. You didn't eat much this morning. I'm not gonna let you slide this afternoon. Go on." He puts it in her lap. Moving back to the table, he grabs his dish and sits on the chair next to her. Watching her intensely, he's going to be sure that she eats at least half of what in the dish.

Rolling her eyes at him, she knows he's going to make sure she eats at least some of this salad. Drinking some of the water he gave her, she feels a little better and eats a few bites. Smiling at him, she tries a few more before putting the fork down on the dish. She sees the look he gives her and shakes her head. "I can't eat any more. I'm not sure I can keep down what I just ate. I'm sorry, Steve. It's the best I can do. I tried to warn you." She lays her head back and closes her eyes. Moments later, her breathing evens out and her hands fall to her sides. Finishing his food, he takes the dish off her lap and heads back inside.

Hours later

"I'm taking a couple of days, Danny. You need hold things down."

"What do you mean, Steve? Why?"

"I just wanna keep an eye on her. Something's up, man. It's more than exhaustion. I'm concerned she's going through some kind of PTSD. Believe me, I know the signs." He grabs some chicken out of the fridge. "I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone right now. I tell ya, she's in a dark place right now. I know that if she's left alone her mind is gonna go down the rabbit hole and may never come back." He looks out the window, making sure she's still asleep.

Danny pauses for a minute. Steve's never really talked about his PTSD. He's dealt with it all on his own no matter how much Danny tried to get him to talk. "Is that how you feel?" He whispers over the phone. "Have you gone down that rabbit hole?"

Steve leans against the counter, his eyes wandering out to the ocean as the tide comes in. He knows Danny has tried to get him to open up about what's been going on in his head. They've been through so much together over the last 7 years. He's literally, been through hell several times and has made that trip down that proverbial rabbit hole a couple times but his connection to his team always brought him back. Maggie has no connection like that. She has nothing to pull her back. If she makes that trip, she won't be returning. He can guarantee that. But Danny doesn't need to know all that he's gone through and all that Maggie's going to go through. "Not lately. And no future plans either, buddy."

Danny can hear the tone and decides to let it go…for now. He knows that his brother is still dealing with fallout from his ordeal with Wo Fat and the fallout from Catherine so he will give him some leeway, but just as Steve says Maggie needs to deal with her situation, he knows Steve will need to deal with his problems soon before they eat away at him.

"Listen, Danny, the doctor said to watch her for a few days, to make sure she doesn't overdo. She hasn't properly mourned for her brother or dealt with what's happened here in the last few days. She's just put it aside and tried to ignore it. She's not the same person she was two days ago. She's completely withdrawn into herself. She hasn't smiled, laughed or, hell, even cried since she was shot. She lies up in bed, wanders aimlessly around the house or sits staring out at the ocean for hours on end. I can't leave her alone, Danny. I don't know what she'll do." He goes back to the fridge and pulls out a bag of fresh vegetables.

"I get that, Steve, but you are not her keeper or her boss. You are not responsible for everything that happens, okay? No, before you say anything, listen to me. She's a big girl. She's been on her own for a long time and has done a pretty good job of taking care of herself all that time. Let her heal and then go home. You don't really know this woman, Steve. I mean, she came here as one person and is leaving as another. What do you really know about her? About who she is? Can you trust what she tells you? You don't have the ability to verify anything she's said except through her boss and what do we know about him? You said it yourself you can't get anything much on her. It's all above your pay grade. So how do you know what she's telling you is the truth? Come on, buddy, I'm not sure what's going on with you but snap out of it!"

Steve glances back out the window, checking on her. She's still sound asleep though a little restless. Sighing heavily, he stops what he's doing. He knows Danny is just trying to look out for him and make sure he doesn't get hurt but that has nothing to do with what's happening to Maggie right now. This is not about his buried feelings for her or if she's being truthful with him. "I know enough, Danny. I can see with my own eyes what's going on. I know from experience what's she going through and it's not pretty and it's not something you just 'get over'. When I talked to Bryce two days ago to tell him what had happened and let him know she was going to be fine, he was genuinely concerned about her. They've worked together for twenty years, Danny, and he said he's never been this worried about her. He's heard it in her voice. He feels he should've pulled her out after Trick died but she wouldn't allow it. He knows she needs some time off but he's concerned that if she takes the time she may never come back. That's why she's never taken any before. Even she knows that with time to think about everything, she'll want out. She's tired, Danny. An exhaustion that comes from delving so deeply into work that one knows nothing else. She told me earlier she doesn't know who SHE is. She's been someone else for most of her life that she has no idea who Maggie Finneran is anymore. Bryce told me she's never had more than a few weeks between cases and that time was always spent getting into her next cover. Now, here she is, no new assignment on the horizon, nothing to prepare for and she's thousands of miles away from home. She has no one here and I know she feels all alone. I've been there. Think back to when I first arrived back here. I never felt so alone." He looks back down at the sink and the vegetables waiting for him to take action. "You know I can't just walk away. Not when somebody is in need as she is. You know you can't either, buddy."

Danny huffs into the phone, "You're right, as always. Just be careful, Steve. I know I gotta trust those instincts of yours but mine are telling me there's a lot more to this story than what you've been told and what we don't yet know is gonna bring all kinds of trouble our way."

Steve grins and chuckles, "When have we ever run away from trouble?"

"Never. And that, my friend, is the problem. Maybe we should sometimes, you know? Just pack our bags and run away. We can save ourselves all kinds of headaches and injuries if we do. It would certainly keep me from being shot at all the time and keep you out of the hospital. Yes, I think we would definitely be better off if we ran away from trouble sometimes."

"But where would the excitement be in that, huh, Danno? Gotta admit, the last few years have been anything but boring." He tries cleaning off the vegetables with one hand.

"You don't have to tell me!"

"Listen, Danny, no matter what happens, she's one of us. And we take care of our own. No matter what comes our way, we need to be here for her, whether she wants us or not."

"Still trying to fix all the broken toys, aren't ya, buddy?" Danny says softly.

"What was that?" Steve almost drops the phone into the sink. "Hang on." He puts the phone on the windowsill and hits speaker. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, SuperSEAL. Just, you never change, you know that?"

"I'm not understanding you right now. What the hell are you talking about?"

"You, you big goof. Some things never change and that's why I love ya. Anyway, when do you think you'll be back?"

"Not sure. I need to get her to open up to me and that's not gonna be easy. Other than Bryce, she's not had anyone she could really open up to in years. I think not since her husband, at least. She's been holding everything inside, keeping all these dark secrets and it's finally breaking through, I think…"

"Wait a minute! Husband? What are you talking about? She's married?" Danny all but screams into the phone.

"What?" Steve hadn't even realized what he'd been saying. "No, no, she's not. Not anymore. She was years ago and they split up. But I think he was the last person she confided in. As close as she and Bryce are, there are so many things you just don't tell your boss." He finishes cleaning the vegetables, putting them on the sideboard and picks up the package of chicken.

"You are amazing, my brother. I guess maybe you do know her better than I thought." Danny chuckles.

"Yeah, well, we've had a few days to talk and I have a very trustworthy face, you know." He picks up the knife and moves to cut open the chicken.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! STOP! PLEASE, STOP!" The screams come from the lanai. Steve drops the chicken and the knife, the tip slicing across the back of his left hand.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks to all who are reading this! I appreciate all the views!**

**Enjoy!**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Ten

 

"Son-of-a-bitch!" He hisses as the cut starts to bleed.

"Steve? What's going on? You all right?" Danny yells over the phone.

"I'm fine, Danny, but I gotta go." He grabs a towel, wraps it around his hand and runs to the lanai doors. He stops next to her chair, shocked by the look on her face…sheer terror and pain. He kneels next to the chair and gently shakes her by her shoulders. Getting no response from that and worrying that the neighbors will soon be calling HPD, he shakes her harder. "Maggie! Wake up!"

Gasping loudly and eyes snapping open, she freezes having no idea where she is. Eyes wide, she looks at Steve, terror showing on her face for a moment before disappearing into confusion and exhaustion. "What? Where? Who?" She stumbles over the words.

"You were having a nightmare. You're here, safe at my house, Maggie. You're fine." He keeps his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me, Maggie. You're safe." He stares at her, his face registering calmness and clarity.

She looks into his eyes and relaxes a little. "Steve?" Confusion crosses her face again. She's still breathing hard and her pulse is racing.

"Yeah. I'm here. You're fine. Just a bit of a nightmare." He smiles, hoping to help calm her down.

"Yeah, no. Another side effect of pain medication." She shakes her head and tries to sit further up on the chair.

"Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have insisted on you taking them." He helps her sit up then sits back on his heels.

"Doesn't always happen, even with the same meds. It's never the same. I had no idea if I would react this time or not. When I reacted the way I did before, it was just a matter of time before I had one of these terrors."

"You could've warned me."

She gives a low chuckle, "Sorry, but I fell asleep before I could."

He looks down and when she sees his face again, he's smiling. "I'll keep this in mind for the future. Can you handle plain old ibuprofen?"

She nods, smiling back at him. "Yeah, that's fine. When I need it." She grimaces as she moves again.

"Level?" He simply asks.

She looks into his eyes and sees only concern. "Six." He nods, standing up. She notices the towel wrapped around his hand and reaches out, gently grabbing his wrist. "What happened?"

He glances down at his hand, having completely forgotten about the cut. "Oh, it's nothing. Cut myself trying to prepare dinner." He doesn't pull his hand away.

Carefully unwrapping the towel, a sharp intake of air is heard as air hits the wound. "Oh, Steve, I think you need a few stitches. We should get you to the hospital." She places a clean part of the towel over the cut, pressing down on it.

"I'll be fine." He flexes the hand and hisses in pain. "Don't worry." He pulls his hand out of hers.

"Steve, unless you want an extremely ugly scar on the back of your hand, I'm driving you to the hospital. Now!"

"You? You're gonna drive? I'll be safer driving myself." He turns back to the house.

Groaning in pain, she stands up, grabbing his arm. "You cannot drive yourself. Let me."

He hears the pleading in her voice and he understands. She needs to do this; to be helpful in some way. Nodding, he slowly makes his way through the house. Remembering his phone, he detours in to the kitchen, snatching it off the sill.

"Steve? Hey, Steve! You there? What the hell is going on? Come on, answer me now or I will mobilize HPD over to your house. Steve!" He hears Danny yelling over the phone.

"Danny? What the hell you still doing on the line?"

"Steve? What happened? I heard screaming. Everything all right?"

"Oh, god, yeah. She had a nightmare. That was all. Just a nightmare, Danny. We're fine." He walks back to the front door where she's waiting. "I swear, Danny, all's good." He nods at her, following her out the door. "Listen, I gotta take care of something, okay. I'll call you later." He disconnects as he gets in the passenger side of his truck.

"You sure you're okay to drive?"

"Don't worry. I'll get you there in one piece." She grins at him as she starts the truck.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Pulling up outside the house, Steve looks over at her and tried to figure out what she's thinking. The entire time in the ER, her focus was one hundred percent on him and making sure he was not going to have an ugly scar on the back of his hand. He let her concentrate on him knowing she needs to take her mind off everything else; that she needs to do something for someone else. He watches her closely as the doctor stitches up the cut. Her attention is completely on his hand, never once looking up into his face. Once the hand is wrapped, she handles all the paperwork and ushers him back out to the truck. On the drive back to the house, he can't hold his tongue any longer. "Okay, Maggie, what's going on? You haven't said more than two words since we left this house." He turns to her, placing his wrapped hand on her arm.

She shrugs, "Just worried about you. Glad you hadn't started in on that chicken before you cut yourself. That could've been ugly." She continues to look out the front window.

"What was it about?" He urges her on.

"Not sure what you're talking about, Steve."

"The nightmare. I can tell you remember. The haunted look hasn't left your eyes or your face the entire time we were in the ER."

"I can't, Steve. It's a memory of something that happened years ago. Just a memory. That's all." She gently pulls her arm out from under his hand and opens the door. Sliding out of the truck, she makes her way to the house. He follows her inside, closing and locking the door, but not setting the alarm. He can feel the breeze as it went by and he can tell she's already gone out the back to the Adirondacks. His hand aching and not really up for trying to drag any information out of her tonight, he walks to the door and yells out at her.

"Listen, Maggie, I'm bushed. The meds they gave have me a little tired so I'm heading up to bed. You gonna be okay out here?" Getting no answer, he turns on the lights and can just barely see her. He sees her wave at him and he takes it she's fine. "Lights on or off?" Again, she waves her hands in a cutting motion and he turns the lights back off. Leaving the door unlocked, he slowly makes his way up to his room, strips and falls into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Hours later, Steve bolts out of a deep sleep, sitting upright in bed, breathing hard and his heart beating fast. Looking around, he's not sure what woke him but something feels off. Getting out of bed, he slips on a pair of shorts, grabs his gun and moves quietly out onto the landing. Looking out into the living room, nothing looks out of place and he carefully moves to the guest room. Peering in, he sees the bed empty. Glancing at the clock, he makes his way down the stairs, checking the front door and moving through the rest of the main floor. Moving to the study, he sees the lanai door is locked but Maggie is nowhere to be found. Moving to the front window, he looks out to see if her rental is still there. Seeing the car, he turns around wondering where she could be. "Maggie? Where are you?" He yells out, setting the safety on the gun and placing it on table. "Maggie?" He checks out the main floor again, becoming concerned. Feeling a bit of panic, he takes the stairs two at a time, moving quickly to the guestroom again. This time he notices that the top cover has been disturbed, which he missed earlier, and checks the door to the balcony. _Locked! What the hell is going on? Where is she?_ He turns as he hears a sound. Moving quickly, he gently opens the door to the bathroom, finding her sitting in the empty tub, knees pulled up to her chest and rocking back and forth. Crouching down next to the tub, he softly puts his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Maggie, what's going on?"

Without looking up, she replies, "He's coming to get me. I know it. He's gonna finish what he started all those years ago." Her voice is flat, emotionless.

"Who? What are you talking about?"

Blinking fast, she turns her head to him. "Steve? What are you doing? Where am I?"

"You're in the bathroom, Maggie. What's happening?" He sits down on the floor, facing her, hand still on her shoulder. "How'd you get here?"

She looks around. "I don't know. Last thing I remember I was lying down in bed."

Steve drops his head, his fears starting to be realized. "You must have fallen asleep and then walked in your sleep."

"Hmmm, guess so." She shrugs off his hand, plants her hands on the sides of the tub and pushes herself up. He stands, holding out his hand to help her out. Moving slowly, she steps out of the tub, looks up at him and shakes her head. Turning, she walks to her room, closing the door behind her.

**************************

"I think she's in trouble. For the last few days, she's been pulling away from everyone around her. I can see in her what I saw in myself a couple years ago. Hell, a couple months ago. She's completely withdrawn, she has no interest in anything around her, she's reliving past experiences and last night she was sleepwalking. She's got a couple of tough days coming up and I'm worried."

"Well, I'm glad you called, Steve. I mean, I can't diagnose anything over the phone or without seeing her, but from what you're describing, she's suffering. I know you are more than familiar with the signs and symptoms so I'll take your word for it. I'm not sure you're gonna be able to get her in but I'll get together a list of referrals for her, if you'd like."

"That would be great, Matt. Mahalo. Can you email that over? I just have to figure out how to approach her. She's screaming out for help yet turns away every time it's offered. I'm afraid it's too late."

"Where is she right now?"

"Where she usually is: sitting out on the Adirondacks, staring at the ocean. She'll sit there for hours not moving and I almost have to force her to eat something. With her medical conditions, I expect to find her either in a diabetic coma or lying there with a bullet in her brain. I have to admit, I'm scared. I've seen more than my share of friends and team members who couldn't hack it and took the easy way out. I can't let her do the same."

"You really care about this woman, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I know how she's feeling, losing someone so close, and I've felt so protective of her from the moment I met her. I can't explain it, but I have to do everything I can to make sure she doesn't fall."

"Yeah, down that proverbial rabbit hole, as you so eloquently put it. I applaud you for taking this woman in, even though you don't really know her and wanting to help her as much as you do but I have to warn you, also. Be careful, Steve. You are still working on your issues and the last thing you need is to take on someone else's problems. Don't let her drag you down that rabbit hole of hers."

Steve closes his eyes, dropping his head, "I understand, Matt. I'll be careful. I'll call you if I need you. Thank you."

"No worries. I'll send you that list by this afternoon." He disconnects the call.

Steve shoves his phone in his pocket, walks out on the lanai and watches her. For the next hour, neither of them moves.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you to all who are reading this. Please let me know what you think.**

**A/N2: Warning: This is where the story starts to get quite dark. Be aware, dark thoughts and suicide are discussed. PTSD can be very serious and I hope I do not offend anyone with the way it's presented. I am not an expert and most information comes from some personal experience with depression and the internet.**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Eleven

 

He straightens his tie as he looks in the mirror. This was not a day he was looking forward to but he feels he needs to be there for her. He was pleasantly surprised when the rest of the team said they would be there as well. He looks up as he hears her footsteps on the stairs. She was wearing the first suit he ever saw her in…the dark eggplant one that fits her so well and looks so good on her. She has on a black camisole underneath the jacket to mark the occasion.

"Do I look okay?" She asks, brushing off imaginary dust with nervous hands. "It's the only dark suit I have with me."

"You look fine," he states, taking her hands in his. "Don't worry. We'll all be there for you, okay?" He squeezes them lightly.

"You know you don't have to do this, right? I'll be fine on my own."

He takes in her ashen complexion and shakes his head. "The way you look right now, no, you will not be fine on your own. Honestly, you look as if you're ready to drop."

She sighs deeply and hangs her head. "All right, I'm not okay. This is gonna be so much harder than I thought. I miss him so much. I know we only had three days together, but we reconnected so quickly. Then he was taken from me…" a sob catches in her throat.

"Come here," he puts his arms around her, pulling her close. Wrapping his arms around her, he can feel her body shaking. _Finally. She hasn't mourned him since that night out back. I'm relieved she's not holding it in any longer._ Minutes later, a car is heard pulling up outside and she steps back.

"Oh, Steve, I'm sorry." She grins sheepishly, running her fingers over the wet spot on his shirt. "You're gonna need to change." She looks into his eyes.

Grinning big, he picks up his jacket. "This'll cover it. No problem." He slips it over his arms and onto his back. Pulling it together in the front, it more than covers the tear-stains on his shirt.

Reaching out, she takes the lapels in her hands and straightens it out. Steve nods and reaches over to the small table and picks up the tissue box. Holding it out to her, she takes one and wipes the tears from her face. As the front door opens, she quickly grabs a few more tissues before Steve places them back on the table. Turning, he greets Danny and is surprised by his companion. "Grace? What are you doing here?" He walks over to give her a hug.

Looking up to him, she smiles. "Danno told me where he's going and I didn't want him to go alone." She looks over at Maggie, still smiling. She walks over to her holding out her hands. "Hi, I'm Grace, Danno's daughter."

Maggie, not sure what to make of this young woman, stares at her like a deer in headlights.

Showing more maturity than she should have at her age, she moves to Maggie, wrapping her arms around her. "I'm so sorry about your brother. I can't imagine how hard this is." She hugs Maggie and gives her a quick peck on the cheek. Backing away, Danny puts an arm around her shoulders.

"Um, hi, Grace. I'm Maggie. Thank you." She gives the young woman a small smile. With the little she knows of Danny, she can see a great deal of him in his daughter. She has the same caring way about her; a want to protect and help those in need.

Steve glances at Danny, who shrugs his shoulders and grins with pride.

Maggie studies Grace, knowing who she was the minute she saw her. She'd heard Steve and Danny talk about bringing Grace over to visit; give her another female to talk to even is she is a teenager. She'd seen a few picture of Grace and wanted to meet her but this was not what she had in mind. "I appreciate you being here, Grace, but it's not necessary."

Grace looks at her, innocence in her eyes, "Uncle Steve says you're family and we do for family, right Danno?" She looks at her father.

Danny grins at her and nods. "Yes, monkey, we do."

"Dad! How many times do I have to ask you to stop calling me that?" She nudges him in the side.

"Sorry, but it's hard to break 14 yrs of tradition." He kisses the top of her head.

Maggie looks on, watching their interaction with an ache in her heart and a pounding in her head. She pinches the bridge of her nose, feeling a debilitating migraine coming on.

"You okay?" She hears the deep, familiar voice ask. Raising her eyes to him, she smiles. "Just a headache coming on."

"Anything I can do?" She feels his hand on her arm.

"No. I just need my sunglasses. That sunlight is gonna be rough." She grabs her bag from the table, pulling out her glasses. Putting them on, she looks at Steve. "No time like the present." She gives him a small smile. He places his hand on the small of her back, nods to Danny and follows out the door.

"So, who's vehicle we taking?" Danny stops just off the front lanai.

Steve looks at Maggie and then back to Danny. "I think, seeing as there's the four of us, the truck would make more sense."

Danny nods, agreeing with him. He knows Steve doesn't want Maggie to have to climb in and out of the back seat and he certainly wasn't going to sit in the back of his own car. Walking over, he opens the back and motions to Grace. "Come on, Grace. We'll sit in the back." He holds out his hand to her, helping her into the back and climbing in after her.

Steve guides Maggie to the passenger side and helps her to climb in. Seeing her wince, he waits until he's sure she's settled and moves around and climbs in to the driver's side. "You okay?" He whispers, leaning over to her. "Level?"

She sighs and looks at him. "Overall…a six. Side, maybe a four. Head working on an eight. Barely feel the arm anymore." She murmurs back. Laying her head against the headrest, she closes her eyes as she hears the truck start. Feeling its movement, she tries to relax and push down the pain in her head. Concentrating on the pain, she misses most of the conversation going on around her. She just hears murmuring and mumbling. Shifting a little, she wishes this day was already over. She knew it was coming but that doesn't mean she's ready for it.

Six days after her meeting with Callens and the take down of the Tiako in the bank, Bryce had called her to let her know everything had gone as planned and they were taking down the Sala family. With that happening, their agents embedded in the Tiako family were given the go ahead to take that family down. Steve had taken the guns from the Tiako here on the island, run them through ballistics and found a match to the bullet that killed Trick. That crew-member was arrested and is awaiting trial in Halawa. With that taken care of, Max was able to release Trick's body and she could plan the funeral. In all her years, this was the first time she's ever had to do this. She was glad for Steve's help, though it hurt her when she realized why he was so familiar with making these preparations. The rest of the team had helped him with the "baby-sitting." He'd insisted she not be left alone and for that, she was grateful. But it was also aggravating cause she was a grown woman who can take care of herself. That conflict didn't help her heal any and kept her grumpy ever since. Now, the pain in her side from the gunshot still giving her problems, and this new development of the migraines, well, today's going to suck.

"Maggie? Did you hear me?" Danny touches her on the shoulder.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Danny, but no, I didn't hear what you said."

Biting his tongue, he smiles and nods. "It's okay. Nothing serious."

She turns to him, "You sure, Danny? I'm sorry. My mind wandered a bit."

"Understandable. Wasn't a big deal. No worries." He smiles at her.

Nodding her head gently, she turns back to the front, leaning against the window. Again, her mind wanders, thinking back to the day Trick was murdered. She'd received a call while out grocery shopping. As soon as she'd heard the voice, she knew something was wrong. She could recognize a law enforcement voice in her sleep. She'd abandoned the cart, making her way to the exit as soon as she heard her brother had been involved in an "incident." She'd driven like a bat out of hell to get back to the house. By the time she arrived, the street had been blocked off and she'd had to stop three blocks away. In a panic, she'd left the car and started running. She made her way through the outer barricade, escorted by the first uniform she'd met. Not even looking, she'd run across the street, weaving in and out of the cruisers to the front of the house. She'd tried to make her way past those in charge but he'd stopped her. When she felt him grab her from behind and hold her back, her first instinct was to fight against him, get leverage and take him down.

_"_ _I need to get inside. That's my brother's house. I need to see him!" She yelled at him, squirming in his grasp._

_"_ _Whoa! Just hold on. You can't go in there." He says, swinging her around to look at her. "I'm sorry, but you can't go in." He stares intently at her._

_"_ _Who the hell are you? That's my brother's house! What's happened? Why is it all blocked off? Where is he?" She glares at him._

_"_ _Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0. You are?" He keeps a hand on her arm._

_"_ _Elizabeth Conners. My brother, Patrick O'Donnell lives here. What's happened?" She tries to get around him again. The blond cop standing near him moves to cut her off but McGarrett waives him off._

_"_ _Please, Miss Conners, you cannot go in there. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but there was an incident earlier and your brother was shot."_

_"_ _Shot? How? I mean, what happened? Why?" She looks up at him, confusion and fear in her eyes._

_"_ _I'm not able to tell you what happened as we are not sure, yet. It happened about an hour ago and we were called about 30 minutes ago."_

_"_ _Thirty minutes? Why is the ambulance still here? Why hasn't he gone to the hospital?" She tries rushing past him again. "I need to see him!"_

_Steve grabs her arm, holding her in place. "I'm so sorry, Miss Conners, I didn't make myself clear. He was shot and he didn't survive."_

_She freezes and slowly turns her head to look in his eyes. "What!? He didn't…" she trails off. She stumbles as she tries to move toward the house again and Steve catches her. Holding her tight, he keeps her on her feet and guides her over to the nearest vehicle, which happened to be the ambulance. Sitting her on the back of the rig, he stands in front of her, hands on her shoulders to steady her._

_"_ _Miss Conners? You okay?"_

_"_ _No. He can't be dead. I just got here. We need more time." She falters over her words, grief and pain prevalent on her face._

_Steve watches her closely. He's always hated this part of the job. Being the one to give someone the worst news they'll ever hear makes him feel like the most hated person on this earth. "More time? I'm sorry, what does that mean?"_

_Without looking at him, she answers, "We hadn't seen each other in twenty years. We were reconnecting." She pauses, taking a deep breath. "He's my little brother. He can't be dead. He just can't be." She turns her head to him, pleading in her voice and eyes._

_"_ _I'm so sorry for your loss, Miss Conners. I truly am."_

_She shakes her head. "No. This isn't right. He can't be dead. No, you're wrong." She stands, dodging past him but she's not quick enough. Again, he grabs her from behind, enveloping her in his massive arms. She struggles and almost slips out of his grasp, but he holds on tight._

_"_ _Please, Miss Conners. Calm down."_

_"_ _No! I need to see him! Please, he's not dead. He can't be dead!" She continues to struggle. Not realizing it, her heel comes down on the instep of his foot as the back of her head glances against his chin._

_"_ _Fuck!" He mumbles under his breath as he continues his hold on her. "Elizabeth, stop!" He demands._

_She ceases her struggles as she sees the ME team come out of the house, body bag between them. She watches as they place it on the waiting stretcher and roll it towards the ME's van. "No. Oh, Trick. I'm so sorry." She starts to cry as the truth of the matter hits her. Steve, still holding her tight, turns her to him, her head on his shoulder and comforts her as the tears flow. Though he's only known her for a few minutes, he has this uncontrollable urge to protect her and comfort her._

_She pulls away from him, wiping away the tears and taking a deep breath. "What happened?" Her voice steady and calm._

_"_ _We're still working that out. I can't go into any details right now but know that we have all our resources on this one." He gently guides her back to the rig, allowing her to sit on the back before she falls down._

She'd lost all focus at that point. She couldn't concentrate on most of what he said after that. She had been surprised at the attention her gave her. He made sure she wasn't alone while the rest of this team worked the scene. He'd already appointed himself her guardian and, when she'd told him all her things were in the house and she was going to have to find a hotel in which to stay, he gave her the ultimatum regarding her living arrangements. She hadn't wanted to be around anyone but he wouldn't hear of it. He had left her by herself but was close by at all times.

It had been later that afternoon, back in his office, when she'd revealed why she was on the island.

_"_ _Diamonds? You're here selling diamonds?"_

_She nodded._

_"_ _How much?"_

_"_ _Four million."_

_"_ _Four million? Here? Where are they?"_

_"_ _In a safe deposit box in the bank. What? You think I'm stupid enough to keep them at the house? I'm not crazy." She snaps at him._

_"_ _Okay. Okay." He sits down next to her on the couch. "Who knows why you're here?"_

_She takes a deep breath. "Just my boss and the client I'm here to meet in two days."_

_"_ _Not your family?"_

_"_ _Only my brother and he's…" She swallows hard, holding back the tears. Clearing her throat, she looks at him. "I don't have any family back home. It's just me."_

_"_ _Okay. We're gonna need your employer's name and contact information along with your info."_

_"_ _Well, considering the choice you gave me, you're gonna know exactly where to find me."_

_"_ _Still need it. Listen, Miss Conners, I know this is difficult but whatever information you can give about your brother, where he was working, what he liked to do in his spare time…anything can help us."_

She had proceeded to give all the information she had. He had been understanding and kind and her opinion of him had begun to change from a cocky, bull-headed dick to a cocky, bull-headed cop. He had insisted she not be alone at any time and so had been by her side for the next twenty-four hours. He'd left her alone, though he didn't leave the house, after dinner and before that fateful night when she'd broken down on the beach.

Drifting back to the present, she looks around at the gravesite; to all the people surrounding Trick's grave. She hadn't realized he had so many friends. He'd really put down roots and created a good group of family and friends, or as they call it here, o'hana. Grimacing at the pain in her side, she feels a warm hand on her back to help steady her. He is so intuitive about her pain. She leans into him, not having the energy to fight the pain.

At the mention of her name, she looks up to see the priest looking at her. It was her time to speak. Moving away from the comfort of his touch, she stands next to the coffin and stares out amongst the faces surrounding her. "I hadn't seen my brother in twenty years. I'd come here to reconnect with him and though he was taken too soon, we had three wonderful days and I had my baby brother back." She holds back a sob, "I was so proud of him. He'd made such a wonderful life here, on his own. All the friends he surrounded himself with and the wonderful things he did with his life, well, I can't ever put it into words. He wasn't one for all the material things in life and he donated so much of his time to help anyone who needed it." She looks around, her eyes settling on a young woman standing across from her. "I didn't have a chance to meet all the important people in his life and I hope in the future that will change." Maggie smiles at the woman, knowing she was someone he was seeing. They were supposed to have met over dinner the day he was killed. That was why she had gone shopping that morning. "When he was a small boy, he followed me everywhere. I remember I was annoyed at first but soon embraced the fact that he loved me that much he wanted to spend all his time with me. He became my shadow and I was soon lost if he wasn't with me. That's who he was. Once he decided you were someone worth his time, he never let you go. Even though we were thousands of miles apart, he kept in touch, sending me letters, postcards and even shells from the beach almost every week. I wasn't able to write back as often, but I did when I could, yet that never stopped him from sending me something every week. I'm gonna miss those letters and packages. I so looked forward to them and reading about his life. He will be missed." She stares down at the coffin, laying her hand on it as a few stray tears fall.

She feels gentle hands on her shoulder and waist and she falls back against him, letting him help her back away from the grave. Unable to concentrate on the priest's words, she focuses on her pain and pushing it down. She just wants to give way to it and allow it to take over. She has no energy to fight anymore. With every day that passes, she just wants to lie down and never get up again. Only Steve pushing her has kept her from giving in. She looks up, seeing several others talking about Trick but all she can concentrate on is the hands holding her up and her pain. Her heart is torn in two and she doesn't know if it can ever be put back together. She knows it's all her fault and feels it should be her waiting to be lowered into the grave and not Trick. He should still be here to continue the good work he was doing. To keep from breaking down in tears, she switches her focus to the arm around her shoulders and the hand on her arm. They were keeping her upright and as much as she wants to stand on her own, she leans heavily on him. She feels his hands tighten on her as she leans against him and she thanks whatever god is watching right now for his support.

She glances up as she feels a hand go around hers and she sees that the service is over and the guests are offering her their condolences. None of it really registers with her, though she will remember each and every one of them. She feels his presence next to her through the last one. Suddenly, unable to handle his hands on her, she moves forward to the casket again, placing her hand on it and staring down into the dark hole beneath it.

Steve starts to move forward to her, but a hand on his arm stops him. "Let her be, Steve. She needs some time alone with him and her thoughts. Come on." Danny nods over to the vehicles and pulls him along. Grudgingly, he gives in, walking over and leaning against the truck, his eyes not leaving her.

She laughs/sobs as she gazes into the dark hole. "Glad you're not afraid of the dark, Trick. I can't believe with how long you've been here you still elected to be buried. I thought you would've gone with the Hawaiian traditions and all. But here you are, going in the ground like the good Catholic you always wanted to be. I never took you for a religious person. I guess there were many things to still learn about you. And I took those chances away. It's my fault you're in that coffin right now. If I'd never come here, you would still be alive and, though we'd still only be writing each other, you'd be able to live out your life. I'm so sorry." Her voice catches in her throat and she just stands there, the pain inside her overwhelming her.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** **Warning: The next couple of chapter are where the story starts to get quite dark. Be aware, dark thoughts and suicide are discussed. PTSD can be very serious and I hope I do not offend anyone with the way it's presented. I am not an expert and most information comes from some personal experience with depression and the internet.**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Twelve

 

"Hey, buddy, is she all right?" Danny asks, standing next to Steve, who's leaning on his truck.

Steve glances over at him. "What are you still doing here?" He looks behind him to see the rest of the team standing by their vehicles. "You don't have to stay. We'll follow you when she's ready." He turns back to Danny.

Danny looks down at his feet and then back up at Steve, "Well, first, you're my ride. Second, we're a team, Steve."

Steve shakes his head. "You can always get a ride with someone else, Danno. I won't be offended." He says quietly.

"Steve, stop. It's no big deal. We'll wait for as long as she needs. We all understand and know what this kind of support means. Don't be such a goof."

Steve nods and looks back to Maggie. She's just standing there, hand on the casket, staring at it. She has barely moved in forty-five minutes but Steve can see her mouth moving as if speaking to her brother. He can understand the need to talk to the dead. He does it every time he visits his father's grave. She's quiet now, just standing staring into the grave. Seeing movement to his right, Grace moves past the truck and the two of them and carefully approaches Maggie. Without saying a word, she reaches out and takes Maggie's right hand in hers.

Maggie feels the small, soft hand slip into hers, bringing her out of her reverie. Turning her head, she looks into the sweet, big eyes of Grace. "What are you doing here, Grace?"

"We're waiting for you. Making sure you're okay." She smiles.

Maggie turns her head to see the whole team standing off in the distance. The lump in her throat grows exponentially as she looks at each one, landing on Steve's face. He gives her a small smile and nods. It takes all her willpower to keep from breaking down on the spot. She gives Grace's hand a squeeze, takes one last look at the casket and turns to the team. "Let's go, pretty one." Maggie leads Grace over to where Steve and Danny are standing next to the truck. Looking at Steve, she takes a deep breath. "They didn't all have to stay. I'm sure they're bored and hungry." She has a hard time speaking, the lump in her throat still growing. She's never had any one caring about her in this manner and never this many. She marvels at how she's been taken in by this group and never questioned. At least, not by anyone other than Steve. He's been asking plenty of questions. Ever since that bad day she had with the pain medication, he's been at her side, not leaving her alone and, when he felt appropriate, asking her about her life and work. She knows he's been worried about her and, to be honest, she's been worried about herself.

She's never felt so lost and alone since she was a young woman than the days after Trick died. Even with the team and specifically Steve around her all the time, she's felt completely alone. Maybe because she's spent so much of her life relying only on herself and not knowing how to allow others in. The only regular presence that's been her life is Bryce and, as close as they are, he's still her boss.

"I'm sure they are but they chose to stay." Steve grins at her. Deep down, his concern level is high. He can see the lifelessness in her eyes and her body language is definitely of someone giving up. "How about we head over to Kamekona's? Huh? You up for that?" He puts his hand on her upper arm.

She looks down at her feet. She really doesn't want to go be among a large crowd of people but it's expected of her so she'll go. "Let's go." She nods, moving to the passenger side. Steve moves with her, opening the front door. "No, I'll sit in back with Grace, if that's all right." She moves to the back door, opening it and climbing in. Grace gets in behind her, sitting next to her and, once their seat belts are fastened, takes her hand again. Maggie squeezes it, thankful for the contact. Steve gets in behind the wheel as Danny climbs in the passenger side. He looks at Steve, who gives a slight shrug, starts the truck and heads out.

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Steve watches her from the lanai, beer in hand. He's been watching her for the last thirty minutes, afraid if he turns away, she's going to walk out into the surf and not turn back.

"Hey, buddy, you okay?" Danny stands next to him. The team and their families had come back to the house after the large gathering at the shrimp truck. They'd all just followed Steve back, no words spoken. He'd been a little upset that they'd followed as he was hoping to get her alone and open up to him but he couldn't say no. He knows they were simply providing support for a family member who was hurting.

"Yeah." He answers, not wanting, or needing, to say more. Danny puts a hand on his shoulder, giving him support and letting him know they're all there for him. And Maggie. Steve nods his head in acknowledgement and stares out at her, again. Danny moves away and back inside, walking over to Kono and Chin.

"How's he doing?" Kono speaks up first.

Danny shakes his head. "I don't know. I've never seen him so worried about someone he barely knows as he is worried about her."

"They have a lot more in common that we want to give credit for. From what we've been able to learn, she's been through just as much shit as he has. He understands more what she's going through than anyone else here." Chin states. "And you know he's not gonna abandon anyone while they need help."

"I know, Chin, I just hope she doesn't fuck with his head too much. He's not in the best place right now and I just hope she doesn't drag him down."

Chin looks at Danny, worry plastered on his face. "No worries, brah. We all know that Steve'll be fine as long as he has someone to worry about. It's when he's all alone that we need to worry."

Steve doesn't move from his self-appointed guard post, though he can hear all that's going on behind him. An hour later, he feels Danny stand next to him. "We're all gonna go now. You sure you're okay? You haven't moved in almost two hours."

"Neither has she." He nods at Maggie.

"Steve, listen. I know you're concerned but you gotta know when to let it go. If she wants your help, I'm sure she'll ask. You can't make her ask for help. Believe me, I know how hard it is to get someone to talk about something they don't want to." Danny stares at him, intent in his eyes.

Steve rolls his eyes, understanding exactly what his partner is hinting at. "I know you just wanna help me, Danny, but you don't understand what she's going through right now. You can't possibly know how she's feeling and how easy it would be to step into that hole and fall all the way down. Oh, Danny, it's so inviting. You have no idea."

"I…me? I have no idea? I've been near the edge many times myself, Steve. Don't you dare tell me I don't know."

"NO! You don't, Danny. You can't possibly know. You've always had something to fight for; something to keep you from taking that leap. Someone to stay around for. You've never experienced how truly inviting that place is when you have nothing left…no one pulling you away from the edge. You have Gracie…and Charlie. They will always keep you from getting even close to that edge. Who does she have?" Steve's voice is hard and cold. The last time Danny heard this voice was only a few months ago, right after Catherine's last visit. "You tell me that, Daniel. Whom does she have? Her only living family member was killed and it's directly linked to the reason she was here in the first place. The closest person in her life is six thousand miles away and is her boss. She's on an island, in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by people she's only known for a couple weeks and had two attempts on her life. You're gonna actually stand there and tell me you know how that feels?" Steve glares at him, brows pulled together and eyes dark.

Danny looks deep into his partner's eyes. This is the closest he's ever come to talking about the dark place he goes every so often. "And you do?" He asks quietly.

Without missing a beat, Steve speaks words that chill Danny to his core. "Yeah. I do. I've been there plenty of times. But I got lucky, Danny. I hijacked you into my life. I latched on to your life and that opened up all kinds of possibilities for me. I have this team. It, and you, have saved me more times than I want to admit to and given me something to fight for. But I know that place, right there on the edge, black hole looming before you, beckoning you in with a promise of clarity, calmness and no pain. Oh, it's so appealing, Danny. To fall in and everything just goes away. And if you have nothing to hold on to, well, I've seen too many just take that easy way out. I don't plan on letting anyone go that route if I can help it." He looks back out at Maggie, who still hasn't moved.

"Steve…"

"Don't." Steve holds up a hand. "If I have to be that person she has to hold onto, then I will be that person. I'm not letting her follow that path, Danny. I've had too many people in my life take that path and I'll be damned if I allow another."

"Stop, Steve. Just stop. I know you like to fix broken toys, buddy, but you can't fix everyone. From what I can see, she was on the edge before she even got here. You have no idea who this woman is and the kind of trouble she can bring our way. Again, I say, let her heal and go home. I'm sure there are plenty of people there to help her." His concern for his brother outranks anything else. The last thing Steve needs right now is to get involved with an unstable woman. He notices the change in Steve's body language as he tenses up.

"Our way? Trouble she can bring our way? Is that your only concern? What she can bring 'our' way? You know, Danny, I thought you were leaving. I think you need to do that. Right now." He doesn't look at Danny.

"Hey…"

"NOW, Danny." He dismisses his partner.

Danny thinks about saying a few more things that are on his mind, but the fact that Steve looks as though he's ready to pounce gives him second thoughts. Turning back toward the house, he sees movement out of the corner of his eye as Grace walks past him. "Hey, Monkey, where ya going?"

She stops and looks at her two favorite people. She can tell they've been arguing and hopes they don't stay mad for long. "I was gonna say goodbye to Auntie."

"No, Grace, how about I say goodbye for you. I think she just wants to be alone right now. How bout we give her that privacy?" Steve requests, his voice soft and low.

"I just wanna say goodbye; give her a hug." She pleads.

"I don't think so, Gracie. I'll be sure she knows you wanted to do that, though. I promise." Steve leans over and gives her a hug. "I know she'll appreciate it." He smiles at her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Nodding, she kisses him back and, linking her arm through her father's, walks in the house. Steve stands straight again, gazing out at Maggie as the sun starts to go down.

Upon hearing the last person leave, Steve turns, goes to the fridge and grabs two bottles of coconut water. He knows they both could use a couple of beers yet that would not be a good idea, considering the mood.

Standing next to her, he holds out one of the bottles to her. Distractedly, she takes it from him, letting her hand fall back to her side. "I could really use something stronger." She comments, shaking the bottle slightly.

"Yeah, not a good idea with how you've been feeling today." He answers, opening the one in his hand and taking a long drink.

"Especially with the way I've been feeling today." She barks back, letting the bottle drop to the ground.

Glancing her way, he can barely see her silhouette, as the moon hasn't risen yet and the only light coming from the lanai. "What's going on, Maggie?"

She turns toward him, body rigid, hands clenched tightly. "Well, gee, I just buried my only known relative today; my baby brother. I'm alone on an island in the middle of the damn Pacific and I've been shot twice since I've been here. Think that about covers it." She barks at him.

He stops his automatic, snarky response, honed after so many years of dealing with Danny and takes a deep breath. Deciding to just jump in, feet first, he moves a little closer. "I know where you are right now. I know about that endless black hole looming in front of you. I know how inviting it is right now." He says quietly. He hears the gasp from her on the last words he speaks and is certain of her mindset. "Talk to me, Maggie. As I've said, I understand more than you know."

She knows he's been here many times before but she just cannot tell him. Besides the pain she feels every time she thinks about her brother, she's ashamed she's even considering what she is. She's never thought about anything like this before, but she's so tired. "Oh, Steve, it is so not your problem. I appreciate all you've done for me since my brother died: taking me in, watching over me, just being here. But I'll be fine." She hangs her head. _Why bother getting any more involved. Bryce wants me back. I'll put Trick's house on the market, hire someone to handle it locally and, when I get home, let Bryce know I'm retiring. I'll worry what I'm gonna do once that is done_.

"Stop." Steve states, "Just stop, Maggie. You've barely spoken to anyone today. After greeting everyone at Kame's, you went off by yourself. Once we got back here to the house, you said and did what was expected and came out here, alone, not speaking to anyone; just staring out into the ocean. Do you realize how concerned everyone is about you? Especially Grace? She wanted to come out here and say goodbye...give you a hug but I wasn't sure how you'd react so I told her I would say goodbye for her and let you know she just wanted to give you that hug and be sure you're all right. She just met you today yet she's worrying about you as she does me, Kono, or any member of the team. You know it was completely her idea to come today. She'd heard Danny on the phone with me talking about you. He would call to check in and be sure we were okay and she overheard many of the calls. She asked about coming over to meet you every day and when she heard today was the funeral for your brother, she insisted on coming along. She wouldn't take no for an answer. So, not even knowing you, she was overly worried about you. She gets that from her father." He lets out a small laugh/snort.

If Steve could see Maggie's face, he would be laughing out right. She has a look of incredulity covering her entire face. "From her father? Oh, please, Steve. He can't wait for me to leave."

"No. Not at all."

"Don't bullshit me! I've heard more of your calls and conversations that you think. I know he's told you to just let it go and let me leave. He doesn't think I'm good enough and hopes I leave as soon as possible. He doesn't give a damn about me. He's only showing concern because of you, Steve. Your entire team was only over here today for you. Not me. They have your back and because you have shown such concern over me, they do, too. But don't even kid yourself that they care what happens to me."

"Wait…what? How can you say that? They've had your back since you got here. Before we knew who you were, they were working overtime to find your brother's killer. And once you were revealed, they backed you up, no questions. They have been constantly calling and texting asking about you and asking what they can do to help. That's why they showed up today. They want to help. How you can think they don't care is beyond me. That's just not who they are. Who we are."

She shakes her head. "You know what, never mind." She turns, having made up her mind. "I'll be out of your hair day after tomorrow. You won't need to worry about me anymore. I'll be gone from your island and you can go back to your life." She starts across the grass to the house.

 _What in the HELL is she talking about? The house won't be ready in two days!_ "Maggie, stop!" He yells after her. He runs after her, stopping in front of her. "Stop! What do you mean you'll be gone in two days? What about the house?"

She tries to go around him but he blocks her way. "Steve. Let. It. Go."

"No. Tell me what you mean? How are you gonna be gone in two days?"

She sighs, "Listen, tomorrow I'll hire someone local to make sure the house is fixed and put on the market. With that done, there's no reason for me to be here so I'll book a flight for the next day and be gone. No more worries."

"And what if I wanna worry? Huh? You think I want you gone? Damn, if that were the case, I would've kicked you out the day after we closed the case. If, as you seem to think, I really don't care what happens to you, I wouldn't have spent the last week watching over you to be sure you recover from your injuries. If I really don't care, why the hell have I taken the time off to be here for you…for whatever you needed? Huh? God, Maggie, why is it so hard to believe that people care about you? Have you been under for so long that you can't see when those around you truly care about your welfare? That they want to be there for you and help you heal? Cause that's what's going on here. You have a whole team of people that like and care about you and want to help you. No ulterior motives…no hidden agendas."

Looking down at her feet, she shakes her head. "Just seeing the truth."

"Oh, the truth. You want the truth? Okay. Why didn't you say so? I can do the truth." He crosses his arms over his chest and glares at her. "Here's the truth. Bryce. Yeah, your boss. He cares a great deal about you and not just cause you're the best UC agent he has. He views you as a little sister and has been looking out for you since he became your handler. Yeah, he told me exactly how he feels about you over several different phone calls. He's so worried that you're gonna leave him, never to be seen again. Then there's Grace. Hearing all the calls between Danny and I, she learned a great deal about you, wanted to meet you cause she's worried about you. She has such a caring way about her and she wants you to be okay. She truly cares about you, Maggie. Not because I said anything. Now, Kono, well she's called every day asking about you. She has mad respect for you and jokingly says she wants to be like you when she grows up. But that can't happen if you leave. If you decide to jump down that hole. And the rest of the team? They've been calling every day, too. You impressed them. They respect you, too, and their concern may be cause you're part of our law enforcement family, but it's still concern for your well being. That's the truth." He hopes she doesn't ask about the one person he left out.

"You believe what you want." She slides past him to the lanai door.

Reaching deep inside himself, he brings up the buried feelings he's had since she crashed into his life. "What about me?"

She stops at the bottom of the steps, hand on the railing. Without turning, she asks, "What do you mean, 'what about you'?"

He moves towards her, "I care about you and all that's happening to you. I have since the day we met. Don't you realize that?" He whispers.

"Why?" She says, hand falling away from the railing.

"My god, Maggie, do you even have to ask?"

Looking at the ground, she feels him move close to her and sees his feet come into her field of vision. "Are you sure? I'm such a fucking mess right now. I don't know what's up or down in my life. Why would you want to be mixed up with someone that fucked up?"

"Maybe because I'm just as fucked up? Is there anyone else in your life right now who can understand you better? Who's been where you are right now? Who knows just how alluring that dark place is? Let me help you." He hears a stuttered breath go in and out from her and his hand moves to her arm. "I'm here for you. You're not alone. Know that. You don't have to do this by yourself. I told you I'm here to help. I'm willing to help you figure this out. That wasn't a lie." He leans over to catch her eye. "Hey, you are not alone, Maggie." He hears another stuttered breath and moves closer. He feels her shaking beneath his hand and slowly puts his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Her entire body is shaking and he can feel her barely able to stay on her own two feet. Keeping an arm around her, he guides her in the back door and over to the couch in the living room. Settling down on the couch, he just lets her get it all out. At first, she wasn't crying, just shaking and shivering as the weight of everything descends over her. He holds her tight, conveying with body language that he's not going anywhere until they figure this out. He hears a low, quiet sob start which quickly becomes an almost hysterical wail. He cradles the back of her head with his hand, his cheek against the top of her head as he rocks back and forth. He closes his eyes, wanting to take this all away and not have her go through this but he knows it has to happen for her to move forward.

**Any thoughts?**


	13. Chapter 13

The Meeting: Chapter Thirteen

 

Walking back in, he stops for a moment to look at her: legs pulled up underneath her, facing the door as she wipes the tears from her face. Handing her the mug, he sits back down, his mug resting on the arm of the couch.

She takes the drink from his hand, being careful not spill any of the hot tea and takes a tentative sip. "Hmmm, perfect. Thank you." She rests the mug on the pillow she has on her lap. Glancing up at him, her heart hurts at the look of concern on his face. She never wants to cause that kind of grief for anyone and to see it written all over his face is almost more than she can bear. "I'm sorry, Steve."

He rolls his eyes. "For what?"

She thinks back over the last two hours...how she just let everything that had been building for the last ten days out. Her throat hurt from the wailing, hence the mug of tea. She knows she must look a fright with her red, swollen eyes. He had simply held her as she poured out all the fear and grief she'd locked inside. Not just for her brother but for everything she's given up over the last 25 years. She could tell he had been slightly disconcerted at how long she shook and wept but she couldn't stop. Once it started she knew it would have to work its way out of her system. That's why she hadn't allowed the feeling to surface before. Once she stopped, he'd looked her in the eye and suggested the tea. She figures he'd just needed a moment to gather his thoughts and figure out what he wanted to do from here. Her plans were still to hire someone to take care of the house and head back to DC. "Just everything. I'm sure when I first ran into you at Trick's house, you never expected that this is where we would end up."

He chuckles, taking a drink to hide the smile on his face. Looking serious again, he studies her. _It may not be way I envisioned, but to have the opportunity to convince her to stay has landed in my lap and I'm not going to let it slip away._ He notices that's she's relaxed a bit, though the natural sedative he put in her tea may be helping. She had completely broken down and for a while, he'd been afraid the neighbors were going to call HPD with how loud her sobbing had become. He had held and comforted her as it all left her and she'd gone limp against him. "No, this is NOT where I thought we would be. I'll admit to that." He takes another sip. "But I'm here. I'm not running away. Talk to me. Tell me what's going on, Maggie."

She takes another drink allowing her time to put some thoughts together. She feels so relaxed but her mind is still running a mile-a-minute and she's having a hard time organizing any thoughts. "Where do I begin? Things have been fucked up for so long now, I can't even pinpoint when it all began to go south."

He nods, "Okay. Just start anywhere. We can piece it all together later." He urges her on.

Shifting her body a bit, she starts talking. "Several years ago, I was involved in an undercover op that went bad. I was injured severely and it took a couple years before I was back in working condition. That was the one time the rapport was used. I can't go into any details but it really messed me up. I guess that's when this all started. It was a long recovery and during that time I started thinking about my life and what I was doing with it. But so much of my time was filled with recovery and physical therapy and medical treatments it didn't leave much time for me to figure out where I wanted to go from there. When I was fit for duty again, Bryce already had a case lined up and I jumped right back in. I was ready to go yet it wasn't the same. I didn't have the same passion for the work as I did before my injury. I just didn't know how to handle it so I plodded along. I was never under for long…no more than a year. As I said, this most recent case was the shortest. I guess maybe in the back of my mind I'd started thinking about getting out. Telling Bryce was the hard part. He's been such a big part of my career for so long and given me such wonderful support over the years; I didn't want to disappoint him." She takes another sip. "As you can see, I haven't been able to tell him. And with this op almost going south, I just can't do this anymore. I lost my passion a long time ago and now my mind just isn't in it anymore and that's dangerous."

He nods, knowing if she can't get her mind into her cover, the risk to her life is too high. He has so much he wants to say, but doesn't want to risk shutting her down. He reaches out with his free hand and covers her free hand.

She looks at him, wondering what he gets from this. _Why does he care so much? Why is he insisting on being here, listening to me?_ She sees such concern and caring in those eyes that she almost opens up her feelings about him. _NO! I can't do that. It would be crazy to expect he feels the same. I know he cares for all his team and that's all I am at this moment._ Glancing down at his hand covering hers, she sighs. "When Trick died, I shut down. It was the only way I could handle it. I closed off all thoughts of him, knowing that once I really started I wouldn't be able to stop. You experienced that…twice. I wasn't sleeping. Still aren't. Yet I'm exhausted all the time. I miss him so much. I know we hadn't seen each other, but to know that I'm never gonna see him again makes me miss him more than I ever did before." Her voice catches in her throat. "Oh, god, Steve, the pain doesn't go away. It's never stopped. I feel this pain in my soul all day, every day. I haven't felt this kind of pain since the day Tyler left. I can't live this way but I don't know how to make it stop." A sob escapes her and she grimaces, holding in any more tears that threaten to fall. She feels if she starts crying again, she won't ever stop or come back from the pain. She turns her head, looking out the window into the darkness. She feels his hand grip hers tighter and she gasps sharply. Looking back at him, she can't hide the pain and despair in her eyes.

"Time. It takes time. I'll be honest, though, it never goes away. Not completely." He says quietly. He thinks back on those he's lost and the pain returns though not as sharp and not as strong, but still there. "You have to give it time, Maggie. Like with Tyler. I'm sure it still hurts that he left but it's not as bad now. This will fade. I promise you. But you can't give in to it. You need to step back and look at what you have right now. It's vital to hold on to what you have here, right in front of you."

She frowns at him, not sure exactly what he means. _Is he talking about himself? Could he possibly mean that?_ "What do you think I have? Cause I don't see much."

He grits his teeth and holds his tongue. _I don't know how much more of this pity party I can take. It's as if she's trying to avoid seeing anything; as if she doesn't want to see so she has the excuse to fall. Maybe Danny's right. Maybe I should cut my losses and let her go._ Taking a deep breath and counting to ten, he moves a little closer to her. "After all I've said tonight, you have to actually ask? Why are you fighting so hard to not see what's here? Why do you insist on turning everyone away? You're not undercover, Maggie. These people around you have no ulterior motives to be around you other than they want to be sure you're okay. This is real life and you are not alone."

She feels the sob building in the back of her throat and she swallows it down. "But why, Steve? Why would anyone care about me? I'm a messed up undercover agent who knows nothing but being someone else and living someone else's life. I told you, I've been doing this for so long I have no identity left. I'm nobody. Come on, you tried to find me and nothing really came back, did it? I don't exist on paper at all. How can anyone care about someone who doesn't exist?"

"Because you're sitting right here in front of me and I can attest to the fact that you exist, okay? You are flesh and blood and here. UC work is not who you are. It's what you do…what you did."

She turns on the couch, sitting against the back, knees now pulled up in front of her, arms around them, pillow between her thighs and chest, the mug gripped tightly in her hand. She rests her head on the pillow, looking at him. "I don't know. I just don't know." She sighs.

Steve, at the limit of his patience, is ready to give up. "Fine. Do what you will, Maggie. I'm here but I can't force you to believe anything. If you would just open your eyes and see that there are people here for you…to help you. I can't force them on you, either. But they're here when you're ready." He pauses for a moment. "I'm here when you're ready." He puts himself out on the limb. He hopes she doesn't push him off.

She turns her head and buries her face in the pillow. She can't speak. She's afraid if she opens her mouth she'll say something she'll regret so she just stays quiet.

For one of the few times in his life, Steve misreads someone. "Oh, I see. Okay. Well, then, do what you need to do. When you're ready to go, I'll take you to the airport. If you need any help finding someone for the house, let me know. I'm sure I can find someone to make sure it's fixed up and put on the market. Hell, I'm sure Jerry would help and be sure it's all taken care of. Whatever you want." He moves off the couch, standing and turning to the kitchen.

**Has Steve's patience finally worn too thin? I wonder...**


	14. Chapter 14

 

The Meeting: Chapter Fourteen

 

She lifts her head, fear on her face. "Steve. Don't. Go." She pleads, taking a breath between each word. "I don't know. I'm so mixed up and confused. You're right. I don't know what's real and what's not. When I came here, I was already messed up. My mind was going in so many directions. I'd hoped that by seeing Trick, it would help bring things into perspective. Then he died and my whole world just crashed in on me. I realized I was alone and had nothing of my own. Living someone else's life and having no one else. The only thing left was the job. When I found myself in that room with Kamakasu and his goons, I actually hoped that they would get the upper hand and it would be over. But my instincts and muscle memory kicked in and I did my job. Fuck, Steve, that's all I am…THE JOB."

He turns around, walks over and sits down on the coffee table in front of her. It seems now that she's started, she can't stop. Placing his mug next to him, he takes hers from her hand and, resting his elbows on his knees, looks her in the eye.

"I have nothing. No one in my life. I have no life outside of the job. Maybe you're right. I can't tell the difference between real life and the job anymore. Huh, the job has become real life for me. I guess I've been under for so long, on one job or another, I can't tell the difference and now that I have no prospect on the horizon, I have nothing. No one." Taking her hands in his, he simply holds them, giving her human contact. "Oh, Steve, I…" She stumbles on her words. _I'm so scared, Steve. I'm afraid of what the future holds. I'm terrified of having nothing to do with my life and wasting away to nothing. God, at my age, going through something like this is crazy._ Staring into his eyes, she can't decide what to tell him. She's only known him a couple of weeks but feels she could tell him anything. "I…I'm scared." She finally gets out. Watching for the expected reaction, she steels herself for him to either laugh or walk away. Surprising her one more time, his hands tighten on hers and his face softens.

 _Finally._ He thinks. "Of what?" He asks, softly.

She tightens her grip on his hands, not taking her eyes off his. "Being alone. Having no one or nothing in my life because I focused on the job my entire adult life. I have nothing outside of the job.I'm afraid to walk away cause there's nothing for me once I do. Honestly, I never thought about what I would do when I couldn't, or didn't want to, work anymore. Hell, I never had time to think about it. Now I'm faced with time on my hands and I don't want to go back. But if I don't go back, what do I have?"

Keeping eye contact, he sighs. "You can stay here and make a life."

Her eyes go wide. "How? Doing what? I have nothing more here than I do back in DC. And here I would be out in the middle of nowhere with no one around."

"Well, first, recover. Figure out who you are, as we talked about days ago. Once you're ready, come work with us at Five-0. It would be something different for you and I'm sure you'd be more than welcome. No matter what you think, the team cares about you. You're one of us and as I've said many times, we do for family. I know you don't wanna believe it, but you can't deny it. They're here for you, as much as I am, and you'd be a hell of an addition to the team. You can make a life for yourself here." He puts it out there hoping she makes the decision he wants. "You've got a place to live, if you want to. If not, you can sell it and live elsewhere. While you decide, you can stay here as long as you need. I like having someone else in the house. What do you think?"

She continues to stare into his eyes, not sure what to think or do. "Why would you want such a fucked up person on your team? I'm not the most stable person right now and who knows if I ever will be. And I can't believe your team would want me on it. Have you actually talked to them about it? Yeah, I didn't think so. You're assuming a lot."

"Fine. Forget that part right now. How about you simply take time, recover and heal? Let's take things one at a time. Take the time you told Bryce you needed. Use it to figure this all out. Then we can go from there. How about that? How about we pull you back from the edge of that rabbit hole and back to life?" Letting go of his hands, she puts her face in her hands, shaking her head. "Maggie, I know what it's like. I know where you are in your head right now. I'm here for you, okay? Hold on to me. Let me help you come back. I'm not running away and I'm not giving up. Don't give up on yourself."

Taking in a halted breath, she lifts her head, looking at him with gratitude on her face. Then, again, fear and grief overcome her and she starts to shake. She can't stop it. He understands what's happening; the physical reaction her body's been having for the last twelve hours. After he buried his father, he'd kept busy and had no time for the reaction to happen. At least, not fully. He'd experienced moments when he felt it taking over and he was able to busy himself with the investigation and not let it overwhelm him. But he knows the feelings and understands how she feels. Gathering her in his arms, he holds her close. Burying his feelings for her, again, he gently brings her to her feet and guides her to the stairs. Leaving her just inside the door to the guest room, he turns to his own room. Taking one last glimpse at her, he sees she hasn't moved; just standing inside the door, shaking. Exhaling harshly, he goes back to her, putting an arm around her and moves her next to the bed. Not sure he should, he pulls out one of her nightshirts and carefully slips off her shirt, slipping the nightshirt over head and then her pants. Placing his hand on her back, he nudges her on to the bed. Making sure she looks comfortable, he reaches for the blanket lying on the bed and covers her. He experiences déjà vu when he feels her hand on his arm and looks into her eyes. "Steve…" She whispers. He nods at her, slipping off his shoes and climbing in next to her. Taking her in his arms again, he holds her as she shakes and shudders and finally falls asleep. He then closes his eyes and drifts off himself.

She opens her eyes to the sun shining brightly in the windows. Squinting, she wipes the sleep from her eyes and looks around. Shaking her head slightly, she remembers the conversation of the previous night and wants to just dig a hole and hide away. He's got to think she's absolutely nuts and will want to get her out of his house as soon as possible. Crawling off the bed, she goes to the balcony door and glances out. No towel or board out there, so he must have already had his morning swim. Looking down at herself, she doesn't remember putting the nightshirt on and blushes when she realizes how it wound up on her. Grabbing her robe, she moves out onto the landing and down the stairs. Hearing movement in the kitchen, she turns and places her foot on the first step when she hears his voice.

"Hey, I'm making breakfast. Hurry up before it gets cold." He calls from the kitchen.

 _Damn his super hearing!_ Turning back again, she pads her way into the kitchen, keeping her head down and avoiding his eyes. Sitting down, she stares at the table.

He'd heard her as soon as she started down the stairs. Not wanting to spook her, he keeps quiet until he heard her at the bottom of the stairs. Glancing out of the room, he saw when she turned around and yelled out to stop her. He has a great deal to say to her and he can't put it off. After last night, she needs help and needs to be convinced to seek out that help. He'd printed out the list of referrals that Matt had sent over and had them in his pocket. "How are you feeling this morning?" He asks as he puts a plate down in front of her.

Picking up the fork, she starts moving the food around on the plate, not looking up at him. "Um, maybe a little embarrassed. How did I get into this nightshirt?"

He smiles, "I did it. I didn't think you'd appreciate sleeping in your clothes…again."

"Oh. Okay. Thank you." She pushes the food around a bit more.

"Eat some, Maggie. You know you have to eat. Come on."

"I should remember you changing me last night, but it's all kind of hazy. I'm sure I said a few crazy sounding things over the course of last night. I was grieving."

He nods, giving her space and a chance to start again.

"Was I a bit crazy last night?"

He looks at her, top of her head the only part visible. "Not to me, but to anyone else who hasn't been through it? Maybe a bit."

"I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, I have a job to go back to. I can't just quit. I can't just walk away. Bryce doesn't deserve that. He has no one that can do the job I do. I can't."

Steve knew this was coming. It's very typical, bouncing back and forth between what is really wanted and what is expected. "Okay. I understand."

At this, she raises her head. She expected him to argue with her or at least give her a hard time. "What does that mean?" She snaps at him. "You understand? Understand what? How I feel? What's going on in my head? Where I am right now? Yeah, you said all that last night. I don't know what you're trying to do or why you're trying to get into my head but stop it! I mean, you can't be trying to get in my pants. You had the perfect opportunity last night, so that can't be it. What do you get out of all this?" She pushes the plate away, not having taken one bite.

He counts to ten in his head before answering her. "I'll tell you if you eat. You know you need to eat something, Maggie. Please?" He pushes the plate back in front of her, avoiding her eyes and the question.

As angry as she is right now she knows he's right. She's been eating so little the last few days that her blood sugar is all over the place. Rolling her eyes, she picks up the fork and starts eating. Steve sits back in his chair, watching her; wondering what the next emotion will be coming out of her. He'd been told by Matt to expect her to be all over the map with her emotions; changing at the drop of a hat. _She's on the verge of a complete breakdown, Steve. I mean, from what you've told me, I can tell you that. After the barrage of emotions, she's right on that edge. It won't take much for her to jump. Get her to agree to some help, Steve._ He's still not sure how he's going to approach the subject but he has to before another day passes. The signs she's showing are moving fast. "Enjoying the show, McGarrett?" She grumbles.

He smiles at her, wanting to be sure she eats everything on the plate before letting her up from the table.

Pushing the plate away, again, she glares at him. "You know what? I don't need to know what you get out of this. You go ahead and get your perverse pleasure from watching me go through this…go ahead! But get you're thrills now cause I'll be leaving tomorrow. I will find someone to take care of the house today and then I'm gone. You won't have to worry about me or be concerned about what is going on inside this fucked up head of mine." She pushes the chair back.

"Stop." His voice is calm, quiet but commanding. She glowers at him but stops moving. "Do you even hear what you're saying? I mean, really listen to what's coming out of your mouth? One minute you're saying you're scared and the next you're ready to go back to work. Can't you see it, Maggie? What I get out of this is helping someone who obviously needs it. You won't admit it, but you're screaming out for help. Let me help you."

Shaking her head, "I'm fine. No, I'm fine. I've had a couple of bad days but I'm fine now. I got it all out yesterday and I'm ready. I'm fine." She seems to be trying to convince herself more than him.

"Denial. Typical reaction, Maggie. I know it well. I spent years denying I had any issues and it all came crashing down around me after I was drugged and tortured. You read about that, I'm sure. What didn't make it into any records was the treatment I sought out after that. I was experiencing some severe symptoms and if I didn't get help, I would've gotten my team killed or killed myself. Yeah, I searched out help and have been seeing him off and on since then." His eyes never leave hers and she can see he's telling the truth. No deceit in those blue-green eyes at all. "If you look in the top drawer of my dresser you'd find anti-anxiety meds. They've helped, along with my o'hana, to keep me grounded and constantly moving forward instead of obsessing on the past. Only Danny knows about this. I needed his help in the beginning; he covered for me during appointments and bad days. He doesn't know I'm still going. Now you know that."

Her heart swelling in her chest, she's touched that he felt he could trust her with this information. This explains so much about his reactions and handling of her the last couple of weeks. "I don't know what to say."

This was the break he was hoping for. "Let me help you get help. There's no shame in it. You've been through a traumatic experience, with the loss of your brother, and that has triggered all the things from your past. You've told me as much, Maggie. You've experienced flashbacks and night terrors; you're emotions have been all over the place and I can see you're having a hard time controlling them. You've considered ending it all to just stop the pain." Her eyes show the shock, "As I've said, I've been there myself. I know and understand all that you are feeling and thinking. I've seen friends go down that path, without getting help, and I've had to bury them. I don't want that to happen to you." He reaches out and takes her hand. "Please, Maggie, think about it."

She doesn't pull away. His hand in hers feels so good; warm and strong. Her mind is waging a war right now and she feels as if she's going mad. _I want to stay here and do as he says: make a life for myself and stop living as someone else. But I can't abandon Bryce and everything he's done for me. He saved my life. How can I leave him? Shit, I don't know what to do! I can't keep things straight in my mind; everything is so mixed up and confused. I want to stay. I need to go. And his presence around me all the time isn't helping to keep things in perspective. I can't continue like this. He's so right yet why am I fighting this? Why can't I just admit I need the help?_ She looks him in the eye, not sure what she's seeing in those hazel eyes. They are changing with every second that passes. Apparently, he's having as much trouble controlling his emotions as she is. "You promise?" She whispers.

He leans forward, not sure he understands. "Promise?"

"Not to leave?"

He smiles to himself as he feels relief. "Yes, I promise. I'll be here for as long as you need me. I'm not going anywhere." He squeezes her hands, elated inside that she made this decision. He sees a single tear roll down her cheek and he reaches over to wipe it away.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>           

"You're sure you're ready for this?" She asks him, her hand on the door handle. "Last chance to get out." She smiles at him.

"I'll be here when you're done." He smiles at her, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. He steps back as she opens the door and goes in. Sitting down in the empty chair, he picks up the magazine on top, not really caring what it is. The last few days had been filled with activity once she decided to stay and get help. He'd pulled out the list of referrals, including Matt's name, and handed it to her. He told her that Matt was his doctor/therapist and she could see him or choose one of his referrals. All of ones listed specialized in PTSD and would be more than capable of helping her. She'd smiled when she realized he'd planned this all out in hopes she would capitulate. After that, calls had been made until she spoke with someone she felt comfortable with and made an emergency appointment and here they were. He feels his phone vibrate and pulls it out of his pocket. "McGarrett." He answers without looking at the phone.

"Yo, Steve, where are you? We caught a case." Danny answers.

"Uh, I'm busy right now. Doctor's appointment."

"What? You okay? You're not sick, are you?"

"No, no, Danno, I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Okay. How long you gonna be?"

"Um…I'm not sure. Couple hours maybe?"

"Well, let me know when you're on the way. I'll send you the details and keep you in the loop."

"Mahalo." He disconnects. He doesn't want Danny to know what was going on until he has a better idea of what's going on himself. Danny would tear him a new one if he knew where he was and how much he was investing in helping her. For a reason only he knew himself, Danny didn't like Maggie or how she was affecting him. Steve could not understand why Danny feels the way he does and he feels bad that he has to hide this from him, but he'll understand once everything is in place. Steve has it all planned out. This is the first step: get her healthy, both physically and mentally. After that, talk to the rest of the team about her joining. He can't bring her on without their backing, one hundred percent. He's already decided to offer her the job but he needs to have the team behind that decision. Otherwise, it won't work. Then he'll consider his feelings for her and, if he still feels the same, asking her out on a date. Seems somewhat backwards considering all that's happened already, but he wants it to seem normal. God knows nothing else in his life is normal. But, first things first. Keep her alive.

Looking up as the door opens, she walks out looking completely drained, her face pale and eyes red. He stands, holding out a hand to her. She declines as she turns back to the room. He sees a man, their age looking at her. "I'll see you tomorrow." He holds out his hand. She takes it, giving a weak shake and nods to him.

"Thank you." She turns back to Steve and nods.

"Let's get you home." His hand still out to her.

"One minute." She holds up a finger as the door to the doctor's office closes. She walks over to the reception desk. "He wants to set up a priority schedule for the next couple of weeks." She says to the receptionist. After a moment, the young woman looks up.

"Tomorrow at 1pm okay?"

Maggie nods, "Yeah, that's fine." She takes the card from the woman.

"Any preferences on the rest of the schedule?" She asks. Maggie shakes her head. "Okay, then I'll have it for you tomorrow." Maggie smiles at her and turns away. Steve is standing right next to her.

"Ready?" He asks.

"Let's go." She precedes him out the door. Walking in silence out to the truck, Steve stops her at the passenger door.

"You okay?" His hand rests on the door holding it closed.

She looks up at him, gauging his mood right now. "Not really. But I think we're off to a good start. He's okay. Seems like he knows what he's doing. I can work with him."

Steve cocks his head to the side. "You know, there are others. You had two others you seemed comfortable talking to so if you want to check them out, do that. Don't settle. This is important."

"It's fine Steve. I can't keep going round and round. He's good guy. I feel comfortable enough with him. He knows what he's talking about."

"You sure?" He glances down as his phone buzzes. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looks at her. She nods, reaching for the door handle. Holding the door for her, he closes after she's in and answers his phone.

"Yeah, Danny. What's up?" He makes his way around the front of the truck.

"How much longer you gonna be, buddy? This case is bad and is going south fast."

"Send me the particulars and I'll take a look. I should be there within the hour."

"Everything all right, Steve?" Concern obvious in his voice.

"Its fine, Danny. Stop worrying. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay. The details are on the way." The line goes dead.

"You should go, Steve. Why don't I just call a taxi to get back to the house?"

"No. I'll take you home first, and then I'll meet the team back at HQ. Don't worry about it." He puts on his seat belt, starts the truck and backs out.

"Steve, let's just go to HQ. You need to get back to work. You've taken too much time off already. I'll be fine. You don't need to baby-sit me twenty-four hours a day. I can handle being alone for a few hours. Go to work. I'll get a taxi from there back to the house." She urges him.

"Maggie…" He glances over at her.

"It's fine. I can't keep imposing on you. If I'm gonna do this, I need to do this on my own. I need to start doing things for myself. You can't keep doing everything for me. I need to stand on my own two feet." She chuckles, "I know it's not much, but it's a start. Gotta start somewhere, right McGarrett?" She smiles at him.

He can't help but smile back. For a moment, she's the woman he first was attracted to; the Maggie that he wants to get to know better. He starts to think things might just work out as planned. "Fine, we'll head to HQ, but you take the truck back to the house. I'll catch a ride back."

                                                                            H50H50H50H50H50

All but throwing the suspect into the lone chair in the room, Steve moves around and cuffs him to it. Glancing at his partner, he moves back to the other side of the room, letting Danny take the lead. He's been working this case from the beginning and should be the one to bring the guy down.

"So…" Danny starts.

Steve listens as his partner reads the suspect the riot act, going over the evidence and the stupidity of the man while making the man more uncomfortable. Steve chuckles internally as he realizes how much Danny has picked up from him in terms of interrogating a suspect. Of course, there was no doubt this guy murdered a couple on the North Shore…this was all for show. He speaks up and steps in when he gets his cues. He and Danny have been doing this for so long now, they have the give and go down. "So, we really don't need anything from you, but it might go a bit easier if you tell us why. Why'd you kill them?" Steve demands as his phone rings. Pulling it out of his pocket, he expects to see Chin or Kono on the caller ID. The name that pops up surprises and shocks him.

Danny glances over and sees a strange name that alarms him: Dr. Jayden Durgetts.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: thanks for hanging with me on this journey. Things are going to start picking up. I promise! Warning, though, once they do, it'll be hard to stop!**

 

The Meeting: Chapter Fifteen

 

Steve looks over at him and nods that he needs to take this call. Moving to the door, he answers the phone. "McGarrett." He walks out into the hall.

"Commander McGarrett? This is Dr. Durgetts. Maggie Finneran's doctor. Do you have a moment?"

"What's wrong? Is she okay?" He moves away from the room not wanting Danny to overhear.

"I had to sedate her during today's session. Just a mild one, but she's not able to drive and you're listed as her emergency contact."

"What happened?"

"She became extremely agitated and, for her own safety, I gave her a mild sedative to calm her down. I'd really prefer to discuss this in person. Can you come to my office?"

Steve looks to the door and nods to himself. "I'll be there in ten minutes." He disconnects the call as the door opens and Danny walks out.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing, Danny. Look, I gotta go take care of something. Can you handle him?" He makes for the elevator.

"Who's Jayden Durgetts? Why're you getting a call from him? What's wrong, Steve?"

He stops, his back to Danny. "I'm fine, Danny. Nothing wrong with me, okay? But I need to go."

"Steven?" His voice gets hard.

Steve stretches his neck, positive if he tells him now, he'll never get out of here. "Look, I'll tell you all about it at another time, but I **_need_** to go now! I'll be in touch." He rushes past the elevator to the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he rushes out the front of the Palace to his truck.

Within minutes, he's running in to office building where Durgetts' office is located. Knocking on the outer door, he bounces on his feet waiting for the door to open. As he's about to break the door down, he hears it unlock and open.

"Sorry, Commander, I was in my office and just barely heard the knock. Come in." He steps back to allow Steve to enter. Motioning him through, he closes and locks the door behind them. "In through there." He follows Steve into the inner office.

Steve walks in and sees her lying on the couch, left arm flung over her eyes, right arm resting on her abdomen; her breathing steady and even. "What happened?"

"She started talking about a situation that occurred a few years ago, going over what had happened and how it affected her. I began to notice the signs right away: she started breathing heavy, sweat was forming on her face and hands, her pulse quickened and she started shaking. Within seconds, she was visibly shaking from head to foot, unable to keep still in the chair. She was beginning to sob and I felt it necessary to give her a mild sedative to keep her from possibly harming herself. The things she was saying were making no sense. Commander, I've suggested on two separate occasions that she should check in to a local facility for help but she has declined both times and insists she's fine with our schedule."

Steve nods, "Is she gonna be okay?" He moves closer, crouching down next to the couch.

"She should be…at least physically. Mentally? She has a long way to go. She remembers everything. You know that, don't you?"

Steve looks over his shoulder at Jayden. "What do you mean?"

"She has an eidetic memory. She can't forget anything. Sure, she can "file" it away but can never forget. She was literally reliving the incident and this one changed her life. Having that kind of memory changes things. Changes her treatment. Those suffering from PTSD as she is who relive memories to that degree need specialized treatment. I've consulted with a colleague who specializes in treating this and he's given me a plan. She should really be in a facility but as long as she's not a threat to herself or others, I can't force her."

Steve looks back at her, looking so peaceful. "She doesn't want this to go on her record. If she went into a facility, insurance would cover that and, with what she does for a living, well, she would be done."

"Commander, this is not a stigma anymore. She wouldn't be labeled. She's getting the help she needs."

"I know that. But she would be grounded. Unable to do what she's good at; what she's spent years working for. Let's just keep working this way. I have a good feeling about this." He reaches out and gently shakes her shoulder. "Hey, Maggie, you with us."

"Mmmm, yeah. Heard everything. I won't commit myself."

Steve chuckles, "I never suggested you would. Come on, let's get you out of here." He helps her to sit up and she looks in his eyes. A small grin crosses her face as she tries to stand. He puts an arm around her, holding her up and guiding her to the door.

"I'm gonna make an exception for her, Commander. For now, and in the near future, I want to see her every day. Yes, even the weekends. I'll make provisions to be here at the same time every day. I specifically gave her the last appointment of the day when we set up her schedule because I was afraid of something like this happening. And I expected she would need more than an hour. I know you have a lot on your plate right now, Commander, but she needs to be around people right now. She should not be left on her own."

Steve pauses for a moment, before getting a slight grin on his face. "I'll see what I can do. Don't worry, she'll be here every day." He helps her out to the truck.

"My car." She mumbles.

"Don't worry, we'll get it tomorrow. Come on, get in." He helps her into the truck, slipping the seat belt around her. Making his way to the driver's side, he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. Pulling it out, he sees Danny's name on the caller ID and he hits ignore. Getting in, he heads back to the house knowing he's gonna have a visitor later this evening.

"Calm down, Danny. Everything's fine. I'm fine." He sits in one of the Adirondacks after Danny dragged him out here to get out of the house. Maggie was up in her room, sleeping off the sedative.

"Then why are you seeing another PTSD specialist? Huh? What's going on?" He paces back and forth in the sand, waving his hands and spilling his beer. "Oh, and why is she still here? I thought you said she was going to find someone to take care of the house and head back to DC. What happened there? Buddy, you've got to step back and get some perspective." He stops in front of Steve, glaring at him as the beer in his bottle drips out onto the sand.

"Danny, sit down." He indicates the sister chair. Waiting until his brother finally sits down, he takes a long draw on his bottle, almost emptying it. "I'm not seeing that doctor. Maggie is. She's been seeing him for almost a week now. She's not going back to DC any time soon." He states matter-of-factly.

"You've got to be kidding me? Why? And why here? Why not go and stay at one of the fine hotel establishments here on the island? You're letting her walk all over you buddy, and she's taking advantage of it."

"What ARE you talking about? Why do you have such an issue with her?"

"It's not her. It's you, buddy. The way she's affecting you. You've almost used up all the time off you have "taking care" of her; you're running off at the drop of a hat when she calls; and you're ignoring the work piling up on your desk. You are still in charge, Steve, and things need to be done."

Steve looks sideways at Danny and smiles. "Are you jealous?" He finishes his beer, putting the bottle on the table between the two of them.

"What? I don't… What are you talking about? Jealous of what?" He stumbles over his words. How dare Steve imply he's jealous? He has nothing to be jealous of. It's ridiculous.

"That I'm spending so much of my time with someone else? That maybe, just maybe, I might be showing interest in something other than work? In someone other than you and the team? That I might care about someone who needs my help? Someone I understand and who understands me?"

Danny turns in his chair, eyes wide. "How can you say that? We're all here for you yet you've turned away more times than I can count. We try to understand but you won't let us in. And this **_agent_** comes along and suddenly you're spending all your time with her, even after the case was closed and she no longer needed your protection. Sharing everything with her as you've never shared with any of us. How do you think it makes us feel?"

"I was hoping happy that I have someone to talk to who understands what I've been through. That someone in this world might just be here for me, too, who won't judge what I've done and accept me for me." He stands, grabbing the empty bottle from the table. "I'm sorry you feel this way, Danno, but I'm not going just turn my back on her. I told you I will be here for her if she needs me…and she does." He walks around the chairs, heading back to the house. "It's a good feeling to be needed for something other than work." He walks the rest of the way to the lanai door. "You know the way out, Daniel. Lock the door behind you."

Danny opens his eyes and glares at the clock: 5:34 am. Ten minutes later than the last time he looked at it. Giving up, he rolls out of bed, sitting on the side, feet barely touching the floor. He keeps going over that conversation he had with Steve and he wants to kick himself. He DID sound like a jealous fool. He hasn't slept much the last few nights, going over and over that conversation in his head. He should know by now that when his partner finds someone broken, he needs to fix them and Maggie is certainly broken right now. He can't fault him for wanting to help. From what they've been told, she has similar training to Steve along with doing a job that very few can do, successfully, as he did and so she would understand what he's been through and vice-versa. _Maybe I am a bit jealous. She's has access to information I can only dream of ever learning or of him ever telling me and so she will know a side of him I never will._ Sliding out of the bed, he shuffles into the bathroom and starts his daily routine.

Meanwhile, several miles away, two others were deciding to finally get up out of bed after a sleepless night, also. Steve, putting on his trunks and heading out to the beach and Maggie, slipping on her robe and going out onto the balcony, it has become routine for her to sit out here and watch him as he completes his daily outing into the ocean he loves so much. He asks her every night before they head to sleep if she wants to join him and every night she declines. She thinks back to the first time they'd swam together and smiles. Seems like a lifetime ago. Curling up on the chair, she watches the water for his return as the day starts, the sun rises and she struggles through another long day with little to no sleep. Jayden has prescribed a sleeping aid for her, even though she told him they affect her worse than pain meds. However, if she can't get a couple hours soon, she's going to go crazy. Soon, she sees his form returning, coming up out of the water and moving to the chairs. She watches until she loses him beneath the roof and hears him come in the lanai door. Slowly, she moves back into her room, pulling out her clothes for the day. She will give him the shower first since he needs to get to work. Besides, she has all day to get ready for her afternoon appointment. She glances up at the knock on her door and goes to answer it.

"Morning." She says to him.

"Morning, Maggie. I saw you out on the balcony and wanted to be sure you're okay."

Blushing a bit, she nods. "I'm fine. Didn't sleep well so up early."

"You're sure you're okay? Nothing on your mind?"

"I'm fine, Steve. Just a bad night's sleep, okay?"

"Okay." He smiles at her and turns back to his room. She hears the water turn on and sits down on the bed. _Another long, boring day with nothing to do, just waiting to go to my appointment with Jayden. I need to find something to do. This is almost worse than fearing someone will figure out I'm undercover. I'd almost rather go back to work than sit here doing nothing all day long, Even here in paradise._ Almost immediately, the water turns off and she hears movement in his room.

"All yours!" She hears him yell through the wall. Smiling, she moves to the guest bathroom to start her long, boring day.

"Steve, what's wrong?" She asks as she picks up his plate and rinses it off in the sink. They'd just finished breakfast and he'd brooded the entire time. The most recent case has baffled, frustrated and annoyed him more than any in recent history and she wishes she could help him. But he won't bring her in at all. She's offered and he's turned her down…flat. But the last two days, he's been pacing the living room all night getting little to no sleep. She's knows as she's been up most of the night, too.

"Everything's fine. Don't worry about it." He gets up from the table, pulls out a towel and dries the dishes she's washed.

"I can't help but worry about it. I hear you pacing all night long and I want to help. Steve, tell me what's going on and let me help." She glances over at him, a frustrated look in her eyes. "Listen, Jayden has me coming in only twice a week now. He feels I'm past the most dangerous time and I need to start to find something to do. So, let me do something!" She demands.

"Yeah, I know. I don't think he meant work, though. I'm sure he was talking about a hobby or something not involving police work or a government agency. I'm not gonna threaten any progress you've made by getting you involved in any case. Find something else, Maggie." He places the towel on the counter and walks out to the living room. She leaves the rest of the dishes and follows him.

"He didn't specify, Steve. I know you've been given a full report. He fills you in, if not every day, at least a couple times a week." She nods, "Yes, I know. I should be pissed, but I know you just want to help and at this point, I have nothing to hide."

"He only gives me updates on your progress. He doesn't tell me anything you discuss. Not even when you were really struggling in the beginning. That remains between the two of you. If you want him to stop, just tell me. I'll tell him to stop."

She stops for a moment, thinking about what that would mean. "No, Steve. I know you're just looking out for me. You know what that means to me. I'm starting to get cabin fever."

"Get out today. Go to the beach. Go over to Kamekona's. He loves having you around. Explore the island. Do anything but you don't have to sit here in the house."

She gives a small laugh. "I did that the first two days, Steve. I've never been much of a sightseeing person."

He turns to her, moving close to her, his face mere inches from hers. "I won't risk you for a case, understand? Find anything else." He gives her a small smile, kisses her on the forehead and is gone. She hears his truck start and pull away. Turning back to the kitchen, she can at least finish the dishes.

She wakes from the light sleep she'd fallen into, hearing sounds from outside. She'd left the door open to the balcony before lying down and the sounds were coming in through that open door. Getting up, she goes out to see Steve standing just off the lanai, bottle bouncing off the side of his leg, seeming to be talking to himself. Glancing back into the room, she sees the time and grabbing her robe, heads downstairs. Moving quietly to the lanai door, she watches him, as she knows he's watched her. She can hear his voice, low but agitated and she realizes he's talking on his phone. She can't quite make out the words, but they are urgent and demanding. Waiting a few minutes, he finishes the call and looks out over the back yard. Quietly, she walks out on the lanai and clears her throat.

Steve glances back and grins. "I hope I didn't wake you."

She stands at the edge. "No. But I heard noises and came down to see what was going on." She watches as he hits his leg with the bottle again, the clink from the bottle hitting a pocket zipper and echoing across the yard. "Everything all right?"

"It's fine." He answers, the clanking getting louder.

"You sure, Steve?" She grins big, knowing he's getting more annoyed with each passing second.

"Yeah. Fine." The clank gets louder.

"Okay. Just keep in mind, when that bottle breaks, I'm not cleaning it up." She comments, leaning against the railing.

He stops, bottle midway in his swing and he chuckles. "Hint taken." He turns to her and smiles. "Okay, you got me. Things are not great and we are at a complete dead end." He moves to the bottom of the steps, looking up at her. "We just don't know where to go from here."

Reaching out her hand to him, she says, "Gimme," she points to the bottle. He hands it to her and watches as she places it on the rail and then sits down on the top step. "Sit." She states, fingers entwined with each other and elbows on her knees. He sits down next to her in almost the same position. "Tell me."

He takes a deep breath, thinking back to the conversation he just had. He'd known the team is at a standstill and need any help they can get. He doesn't want to bring her in before she's ready so he'd made an emergency call to Jayden to get his advice. "We've found four houses with three to six bodies inside, all tortured and beaten, abused sexually and then executed; all under the age of twenty-one and no evidence as to who did it. The owners of the houses are non-existent and we can't find any kind of paper trail. They were all purchased with cash, no paperwork and nothing left in the houses but the bodies. We can't even connect the houses to each other. The only connection is the M.O. of the murders themselves. Max says they all were sexually abused and severely tortured in a relatively short period of time. We think they are part of the sex trade but we can't find who's running it or how they are related. We've reached a dead end."

She looks at him sideways. "You've reached out to everyone you know?" He nods, knowing what's coming. "Well, I don't know what to tell you, Steve."

Glancing over at her, surprise on his face, he can't believe what she just said. "What?"

She shrugs, looking at her hands.

Dropping his head, he shakes it slightly. "Okay. Fine. We haven't reached out to _everyone_." He turns to her. "I was talking to Jayden when you walked up behind me. I wanted to check with him before I approached you with this. As I said, I'm not willing to risk you over a case. The case is not that important."

"So, he gave you permission?"

"No, he didn't give me permission. He did give me advice on what to tell you and what to limit your activity to, at this point. Come on, Maggie, you've only been seeing him a couple weeks. You have a long way to go and I'm not adding to that. I wanted to be sure that it wouldn't interfere with your progress before bringing you in. I know you feel you've made all kinds of progress, but believe me, the smallest thing can set you back. Yeah, you've been seeing him every day, but you have a long way to go. Please understand, I'm not trying to shut you out. I have my reasons."

She turns to face him, looking directly in his eyes. "I do understand. But I think I can help. I mean, it's not like I'm going out into the field or undercover. I'm simply reaching out and doing some research. Whatever I find, I will turn over to you and the team and find something else to do. Let me help, Steve. You know I have contacts and a reach into places you and the team can only dream of."

He nods, knowing she is right. What he's seen of her access, she can get the intel from local, mainland and international contacts without lifting a finger. Her abilities will be an amazing asset but she needs to get healthy first before he even brings it up to the rest of the team. "You'll do what I say? Turn the tables from when we first met? I get to make the rules?"

She should've seen that coming. "Fine. Starting later. Right now, you need to get a few hours sleep. It's just before five so if you go upstairs now, you could get a few hours. You're exhausted; I can see it in your eyes and on your face. Go. Sleep." She nudges him with her shoulder.

"What about you? You need sleep, too."

"I was asleep…until you decided to make all that noise out here." She grins.

"Hey, you said I didn't wake you."

"I lied. Didn't want you to feel bad." She lies to him now. "Come on. Let's get you upstairs, into bed and a few good hours of sleep."

Steve looks at his watch. "Eight." She gives him a questioning look. "Wake me at eight. Three hours will be enough. I'll get back to HQ and have Chin send you all the information we have. Run what you can, get any intel you can and send it back. Okay?"

"Fine, Steve. Now up you go." She stands up, pulling on his arm. "Let's go, big guy." She all but drags him into the house, reaching over, grabbing the bottle and following him to the bottom of the stairs.

Stopping before going into his room, he glances back down at her. "Eight o'clock? You promise?"

"I promise. Eight sharp!" She salutes him and smiles.

He rolls his eyes at her and walks in the bedroom. As he looks at the bed and strips off his clothes, he realizes just how bone-tired he is. Dropping on the bed, he thinks about pulling the light blanket over himself and falls asleep before he can do it.

Maggie hears his clothing hit the floor and she grabs her phone, dialing a number in DC that she hasn't called in years.


	16. Chapter 16

The Meeting: Chapter Sixteen

 

Walking up the stairs, she hates the idea of having to wake him, but she'd promised. He's not been sleeping much lately due to this case and she was glad to be able to get him to lie down and get a couple hours. Going through the door, she stops dead when seeing him stretched out on the bed. _Thank God he's on his stomach! Wow!_ She gazes at the prone form, naked from head to toe. For just a moment, she wants to climb onto that bed and take advantage of that beautiful body. She shakes her head, reaches over grabbing the light blanket and lays it over him. Moving to the side of the bed, she gives him a gentle shake on the shoulder. "Steve? Wake up." She shakes him again and moves back. "Steve. It's eight o'clock." She says louder. She sees his eyes open, a look of confusion in them and then it's gone.

"Maggie? What?" He lifts his head, balancing on his elbows. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm waking you per our agreement. Its eight a.m. and I promised to wake you. So get up."

He blinks his eyes and then notices the blanket over him. Frowning, he doesn't remember pulling the blanket over him before he fell asleep but he must have. Rubbing his eyes, he rolls on his side and looks at her. "Okay. Thanks." He sits up, keeping the blanket over him. She moves back out of the room, going back down stairs and into the kitchen. Getting coffee going for him, she pulls out bread and eggs. By the time the coffee was ready and the eggs were cooking, she hears him coming down the stairs. "Breakfast ready in two minutes." She calls out to him.

"Mahalo. You didn't have to do that." He grabs a mug and pours some coffee.

"I know, but I have to eat so why not make enough for both of us. Sit down." She gets out two plates and scoops out the eggs, splitting them between the two. Setting one in front of him, she sits down opposite him and starts eating. She looks up at him staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing. Well, just wondering about something." He finally starts eating.

"What?"

"You weren't asleep when I got home earlier, were you?" His eyes are sparkling with mischief.

"Yes, I was." She had just fallen asleep, but why worry him.

"Come on, Maggie, I wasn't _that_ loud. At least, not enough to wake you, if you really were asleep."

"What's it matter, Steve? Huh? I have all day long to nap. That's why I'm not sleeping at night. I sleep all day. Nothing else to do." She pushes away her plate, half eaten.

"I'm not doing this again, Maggie. I've done what I can and I agreed to send you all the intel we have on this case when I get to the office. Okay?"

"To be honest, I'll believe it when I get the intel. I'm sorry, Steve, but I'm going stir-crazy. You can only go around looking at this island and all the tourist spots for so long. I'm not into hiking into the jungle or climbing a mountain so I've exhausted that. I've never had many hobbies cause I never had any time. Work was my hobby. I know, we've been over this time and time again. I've talked to Jayden about this and I'm trying but I can't find anything I'm even remotely interested in besides police work. Maybe I should become a PI?" She says, a serious look on her face.

"Oh, yeah, that would be a great idea." Sarcasm floods his tone.

"Whatever. It's a possibility. I could work with your team but still be my own boss." She cocks her head, grinning at him.

"Sure, go for it. Never get the license." He eyes her.

"Oh? You're sure about that?"

He nods as he finishes the food on his plate. "Finish that food, Maggie. On that we can agree. You need to eat. Go ahead." He stands, grabbing his plate and rinsing it off in the sink. He turns back to her as she finishes the food on her plate.

"Happy?"

"Yes, very." He holds out his hand for the plate. Rinsing it off, he leaves the dishes in the sink and moves behind her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he massages them, gently. "Don't worry, Maggie, it'll all work out. As I said, you need to give it time."

She nods, not wanting him to take his hands away. She exhales sharply when he takes his hands away and moves out into the living room. She doesn't move as she hears him grab his keys, gun and badge and hears the front door open.

"I'll send you the intel as soon as I can. You are just to do research and get it back to us. Understand?" She sits in silence, not able to answer him. "Maggie? You understand? Just research. No field work."

"Fine." She finally answers. Hearing the door close, she stands up, goes into the study and opens her laptop. "Just research. Even if it means having to go and talk to a CI or two." She smiles as she checks her email while waiting for Chin to send over the intel.

**5050505050505050**

Steve walks up to the smart table and looks at the team. "Anything?" He looks at each one. They all shake their head. "Okay. Chin, gather all the intel we have on this case, put it on a flash drive and send it over to the house. Let's have Maggie take a look at it and see what she can come up with. She has contacts we can only dream of having access to."

"What?" Danny spits out. "What are you doing, Steven?"

"I'm using any and all resources to find out what's happening to these kids. We're out of leads, Danny, and I think Maggie can help us get through all the red tape and bullshit we're getting from Interpol and other international agencies. We know this is not organized in the US but we can't get anywhere on the international front. Interpol is blocking us as is Europol, Aseanopol and Ameripol. Maggie has connections throughout all the alphabet agencies and they can reach out to the international ones. She has access into records and information we can't even begin to consider. Let's allow her to see what she can find out."

The team all look at each other. "Well, I gotta agree with Steve. We need any help we can get and she just might be able to get us the break we need." Lou speaks up. Kono and Chin both nod, agreeing with Lou.

Danny, realizing he's out-voted, throws his hands up in the air and goes to his office. "Do it, Chin. Then get it over to her right away. I don't care how you get it there, just do it." Steve nods at Chin and then goes into this office. Lou looks from Steve's office to Danny's and shrugs.

"I'll take the less dangerous one." He turns and goes to Danny's office. Knocking on the door, he goes in not waiting for an invite. "What's your problem, Danny? Whatcha got against Maggie?"

Danny looks at him, not believing he's even asking. "Lou, we don't know who she is. We can't even verify she is who she says she is. We tried to run her through our system and came back with a generic profile. We've already had people infiltrating our team for other purposes and no one saw it coming. With Maggie, Steve seems completely blinded by his concern and…uh…adoration of her."

"Calm down, brother, calm down. I don't think she's here for anything other than what we've been told. I got a hard time believing she's putting herself through hell right now to try to infiltrate the team. And I really can't believe she'd use her brother's death as anything other than just that. Her brother's death. Give her the benefit, Danny. I trust Steve's gut. She's who she says she is. I don't think she has the energy right now to hide."

"I dunno, Lou. Steve's just getting over Lynn and Catherine. He doesn't need another crazy woman in his life. He needs someone stable and safe."

Lou gives a big nod of his head. "Oh, you mean boring and steady. Yeah, not gonna happen. Ever!" He smiles. "Not the kind of people he surrounds himself with. Let's see what she can do, okay?"

"All right, Lou. But if this goes south, I'm so gonna say 'I told you so'." He pulls open his computer, in effect dismissing Lou. Lou shakes his head and walks back out to the table. "I dunno. Those two are on opposite sides of this situation." He looks from Danny to Steve.

"I think we should just stay neutral here. At least when they're both around." Chin says, finishing the download. "Gotta get this over to Maggie. I think I might deliver this myself."

"I'll drive you over!" Kono volunteers.

"No, I'll be okay, cuz. Someone needs to stay here and keep the peace. I'll be back in thirty." He grabs the drive and is out the doors.

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50

"Maggie? Whatcha got?" Steve answers his phone. It's been all day since Chin dropped off the flash drive and they've had no other leads.

"Well, I think I have some information you can use. You're not gonna believe what's going on." She says over the phone.

Steve gets up, taking his phone and heading out to the table. Motioning and calling out to the rest of the team, he places his phone on top and hits speaker. "All right, Maggie, we're all here. What have you found out?" He leans on his knuckles on the table.

"Well, I reached out to some of my contacts in DC, who in turn connected me with their contacts at Interpol, who in turn connected me to someone in the Indonesian National Police. You are dealing with a very clever criminal. Apparently his network is set up like terrorist cells. The reason you can't connect the houses and the victims is because there is no real connection. At least, not here on the island." There a ping on the table and Chin pulls up the file she just sent. "This is the only picture of the man running this network." A very blurry picture comes up on the screen showing a man of average height, build and dark hair. "Apparently he never leaves his compound on Maluku. He runs everything from there. Each group is separate from the next and they have no idea who the others are. They each have six to ten kids and use them up, then execute them. When they feel the cops are getting too close, they take the ones who aren't too bad off, kill the rest and move to another location. He goes by many names but his main alias seems to be Dagu Karabu. I'm sending you all the intel I could gather on him. Most is from Interpol and Aseanapol. I'm not sure it will help but at least you'll know what kind of scum you're dealing with. He's bad, Steve. He's got his fingers in everything from sex trafficking to weapons, including nuclear, to international politics and law enforcement. He has people everywhere and anywhere and they are loyal to him to a fault. This intel was hard to get and what I did find cost a lot of favors. He is well connected, even within our government, and I think that's why he's making this incursion into the US. Start here and then expand to the mainland." She pauses.

"Well, we're gonna put a stop to his 'incursion' here and now. He's not getting a chance to get to the mainland."

"Be careful, Steve. As I said, he's well connected. Gotta be careful not to offend the wrong people. With the influence he has, not even the Governor can save you."

Steve looks at the faces staring at him. "Doesn't matter. This scum's kidnapping local kids, using them and throwing them away. No one gets away with that on my island. I don't care who I 'offend'."

"Now, hold on there, partner." Lou interrupted his friend. "You gotta stop and think about this, Steve. You can't just run roughshod over this situation. Not if any of what Maggie has provided us is true. This guy sounds dangerous and we need to take care. Let me ask you, Maggie, what about you? What kind of influence do you have if this maniac gets himself into a serious situation? Can you help?"

"I don't know, Lou. As I said, coming by this intel cost me a lot of favors. Thank god, I'm so well liked by my former colleagues. I had to be careful to get the intel I did. I may have some high-level contacts and access but even I don't reach as far as this bastard does. He seems to have an endless supply of funds and he doesn't care about anyone unless they give him an advantage of some sort. If I only had some of my other ID's here…" She trails off.

"No! Don't even consider it, Maggie. Remember our agreement. This is enough. At least it gives us a place to start now." Steve's body tenses up, the veins in his forehead and neck standing at attention.

"Don't worry, cowboy, I'm not going anywhere. You have my passport, remember?" She laughs. Steve relaxes a bit, remembering he'd confiscated her passport. Danny glances at him with a questioning look and Steve shrugs. "I also found out that there are ten of these houses here on the islands. No one knows about the others. As I said, the four that you've found dumped the useless and set up in new areas. I expect if you check with missing persons, especially children, you may find a few in the last ten days, though most that they will grab will be homeless or runaways. Check around the crash pads or abandoned houses or apartments and you'll find they are terrified of strangers. So many of them will have disappeared lately that they may be willing to talk to the cops just to have some kind of protection."

Steve looks hard at the phone as if he can see her image. "What aren't you telling us, Maggie? How did you get this specific information? Seems a little too detailed to get from a contact thousands of miles away." Silence on the other end of the conversation tells Steve all he needs to know. Snatching the phone off the table, he stalks off to his office, closing the door behind him. Slamming the phone on his desk, he glares at it, his breathing hard and heavy. "What did you do, Maggie?" He grits his teeth together to keep from yelling at her.

"N-nothing. Just what you asked me to do. I got the intel you needed." She replies but he can hear the nervousness in her voice.

"You left the house, didn't you?"

"Well, you told me to get out today. So I did."

"I meant for fun. What did you do?" He sits in his chair, head in his hands.

Maggie had been sitting at the desk in the study, sending the info from her laptop. As soon as she heard him grab the phone, she'd gotten up off the chair and walked out onto the back lanai. Staring out at the moon shining off the ocean, she knows he'll find out. "Fine. My contact in DC had a CI who, after a bad beating during a case, decided to pack up and move here to Oahu. He is the scum of the earth but for the right price, he'll squeal on anyone. I was told where to find him cause he most likely had the specifics here on the island." She takes a deep breath, waiting for his wrath.

"You went to meet with him?" His voice is low and even. She can see in her mind just how dark his eyes are.

"It was the only way I was going to get the specifics, McGarrett. He's been leery of cops ever since the incident in DC and he wasn't gonna talk to you and any member of your team. You're all known in those circles. Even though I may have been in the news, it was as a diamond broker who lost her brother to a tragic murder. He had no idea who I really am. It took me a while, but I was able to get the specifics out of him about how many houses are here and how they work. He panicked before I could get the locations. I'm sure if I go back tomorrow with a little 'incentive' I can get the locations of all the houses before they move again. I got the impression that they were set for a while. Too much heat from you and HPD right now."

"Go back? You went in today not as yourself but as Elizabeth Conners, didn't you? You went on your own 'undercover op' with no back up or even letting anyone know where you were. Did you do this before or after you knew just how dangerous this Karabu is?" His voice is still low and alarming. Silence comes back to him. "After…Dammit, Maggie, do you even care what happens to you? Do the appointments with Jayden help you at all? Cause this stunt tells me that nothing that's happened in the last three weeks has helped you at all. That you still don't care what happens to you or how those around you would feel if something were to happen. I mean, has it? Has seeing Jayden done anything for you? Or do you still want to just jump into that damn hole?"

"No, Steve, that's not it at all."

"Are you sure? Cause what you did today sure doesn't show that. It tells me that nothing I've done, nothing I've said, nothing Jayden's said has changed anything. I can't do this, Maggie. If you don't give a damn about what happens to you, I can't either."

"No. That's not it, Steve. It was the only way to get the information and I knew if I called you or anyone on the team, you would've wanted to plan an entire op and we don't have that kind of time. It was either me go in alone or you spin your wheels trying to find out what's going on."

Steve takes a deep breath, counting to twenty this time before speaking. "I'm only going to say this once. I will not go on about this nor will I defend this. You are not to do this again, no matter the circumstances. If you go off and do something like this again, I will personally pack up your things, drive you to the airport and put you on a plane back to DC. I have enough shit going on in my life and I don't need to have you running all over this island doing dangerous work with no backup. You got that? I don't care what the intel is you feel you need to get, you are not to go off on your own. Never again. You've given us more than we ever thought we would get; given us all kinds of leads to follow and find these poor kids. You've done enough. No more. You went too far today, Maggie. You went against my rules."

She sits down on one of the lounge chairs, sighing and knowing he's right. But her stubbornness rears its ugly head. "I need to go back tomorrow, Steve. You need that information. You need the location of all the houses so you can shut them down. Without that, you're just chasing your tails."

"No. You're not going back. That's final."

"Steve, that intel is vital. I'm fine. I had no issues today. Everything went smoothly and I got back here to the house with no problems. I'm not panicking, I'm not freaking out, and I'm not having any kind of flashbacks or shakes or hysterical sobbing sessions. I'm fine, Steven."

"No. I'm not changing my mind. I'm not saying it again."

"Listen, you can't control everything I do, Steve." She starts.

"I can where it deals with this team. I'm not authorizing any more activity for you. If you go on your own, I'll have you arrested for interfering with a police investigation. I want you to download everything you gathered today onto that flash drive and give it to me when I get home. I don't want to see any of this intel left on your laptop. You're done 'helping' on this case. I gave you the rules and boundaries and you shit on them. I've given you so many chances, Maggie and you just keep pushing for more. I'm done."

She releases the breath she'd been holding, a chuckle following it. "So, to soothe your bruised ego, you're gonna give up a chance to get the information you need to save these kids and take down Karabu's network here on the islands? Is that what I'm hearing? Cause you know that's what's gonna happen. Without this information, you have no chance of finding one of these houses, not to mention all ten. Is your ego worth the lives of almost sixty kids?"

"No, you don't get to do this, Maggie. Don't make this all about my ego. That has nothing to do with it." He looks up and the faces staring at him from around the table. He can't do this here, not with them watching and her on the phone. "I'll see you when I get home. Have that intel on that flash drive." He disconnects the phone without waiting for an answer. Standing he heads back out to his team. "Chin, go over the info Maggie sent over and see what you can piece together. See if we can figure out where these houses are here on the island. Danny, Kono, head on over to the lab and see if, now that we have this new intel, the evidence gathered tells a new story. Lou, see if you can find out who this CI is that Maggie saw today. We need to find him and get as much info as he has on this network. Let's go, let's go!" He moves around the table and toward the door.

"Where're you going?" Danny hollers at him.

"Going to get the rest of that intel. I'll be back." He rushes out the door. He doesn't want to give her a chance to sneak out.

**A/N: What do you think? Has she pushed too far? Or is the team up against the wall and needs her help to bring this sadistic criminal down? I'd be interested in what you think?**


	17. Chapter 17

The Meeting: Chapter Seventeen

At the same time Steve was giving orders, Maggie was sitting, stunned by his dismissal. And then hanging up on her? Oh, he was so going to hear about that as soon as he walks in that door. She stands and goes back to her laptop. She considers for a moment not doing a thing he said but then realizes he'll just take the laptop and she needs it. So, plugging in the flash drive, she downloads all the new intel.

Steve pulls up in front of the house and shuts off the truck. He sits for a minute, gathering himself before going in. He's still humming in anger at her and he needs to get control before confronting her. _I specifically told her she was not to go anywhere to get any intel. If she couldn't get it via phone or computer, she was to let it go. Yet she took it upon herself to go out and get it from a CI she'd never met before and with no one knowing where she was. If something had happened to her…_ he takes a deep breath, opens the door and gets out. Walking up to the front door, he counts to ten before opening it. The sight he sees causes him to shake his head and look around in confusion. Her packed bags are sitting next to the recliner, her purse on the arm. The flash drive is sitting on the back of the recliner waiting for him. He absently picks up the drive, putting it in his pocket. "Maggie?" He calls out. "Maggie? Where are you?" He takes the stairs two at a time looking through all the rooms. Not finding her, he notices a movement through the balcony door and looks out. He can see her silhouette sitting on one of the Adirondacks staring out at the ocean. For a moment, he gets a bad feeling in his gut, seeing her in that same position that he runs back down the stairs, out the back door and stops short behind the chairs. "Maggie?" He moves around to the sister chair. "You okay?" He looks closely at her.

"I'm fine. You get the drive?" She smiles at him.

"Uh, yeah. What's with the bags?" He sits back, crossing ankle over knee.

"You said you were done. So I'm leaving. The house is livable and I can deal with construction guys coming and going while they finish up. I'm told they should be done by the end of the week so I'm good. I can still see Jayden twice a week while I get the house ready. Once the house is done, I will decide what I'm gonna do from there."

Steve stares at her, not believing what's happening. He can't allow her to manipulate him, again, so he surprises her. "Okay. Maybe you're right. You should go stay in your brother's house…I mean, your house now. You've been seeing Jayden long enough now to be on your own. I think that's a good idea." He plays her game.

She looks at him, eyes wide, surprise on her face. She had hoped that by having her packed bags at the door, he would soften up at the idea of her leaving this house and not rip her a new one after her big indiscretion today. Maybe even change his mind and give her the okay to go back to Vic and get the locations of all the houses. She did not expect him to agree with her and all but drive her over to her house. "Really? I mean, okay. I guess I can go over tonight. No one's there right now so I can get my things unpacked and settle in before the crew shows up in the morning. Not sure if the front door locks or if they've replaced the front window yet, but not a problem. I would ask you for my gun back before I go."

"Sure. I think I can do that. But we need to have a discussion before you go. Come on." He stands up, holding out his hand.

"Where are we going?"

"Back inside. I need to check a few things and get your gun."

She takes his hand and he leads her back inside the house. He lets go of her hand and makes his way over to her bags. Grabbing her computer bag, he opens it and pulls out her laptop. "What are you doing?" She goes to him intending to take the computer out of his hands.

"I wouldn't." He warns her. The tone of his voice stops her from reaching out for the laptop. "Before I let you go anywhere, I need to be sure you followed my last orders." He sits on the couch, opening up the laptop and turning it on. While waiting for it to boot up, he pats the couch next to him for her to sit. "Sit down, Maggie. We need to talk."

She wants to sit next to him and tell him how she feels and how his acceptance of her going to the other house hurts her but she just can't give him that satisfaction. She does sit down, but further down the couch and not right next to him. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Let's not do this, okay? You know exactly what we need to discuss. You went out on your own to talk to a CI and told no one. Not a single person knew where you were or who you were meeting. What if something had gone wrong? Huh? Did you even think about that? You had no idea what you were walking into and if something had happened, you would've been fucked. We couldn't help you if you got into trouble. You put us in a bad situation. If you'd been hurt…" He clears his throat and looks back at the computer. He signs in and he starts searching her files.

"Steve, what are you looking for? Why are searching through my files?" She's a little insulted. She knows what he's looking for. "I can't believe you don't trust me. How can you do this?"

"I'm just making sure you did what I asked. I don't need the added stress of worrying about you going out on your own and trying to help on this case. I knew I shouldn't have involved you. Everything in me was telling me no, but we were at a dead end. You've been out on your own for so long, you don't understand what it is to work on a team. I should've realized that. I'm sorry." He continues to look through her files and drives.

She freezes for a moment, really hearing what he just said. _He's right. I don't have any idea how to really work on a team. I have been working on my own for the last twenty years and working with others is foreign to me. Wow, I can't believe I went out as I did and took that kind of chance._ She sits back, watching as he goes through all her drives and files.

He sits back, convinced she erased all the info from her computer. He looks over at her, seeing the look on her face. "What? What're you thinking, Maggie?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. My entire career has been doing things on my own; doing my job the way it needs to be done without any thought for anyone else. I didn't have to consider anyone else. I've always worked alone. I told you that weeks ago. So, you're right. Maybe I can't work in a team. I'm just too set in my ways. Honestly, Steve, I never even think about what could go wrong. I just do."

"I understand that more than you know. It's not that hard to work on a team. You just have to remember there are others involved; that you need to be aware of others."

"I don't know. I've worked on my own for so many years. With what I did, a partner or a team could get me killed. I got in so deep that I couldn't be concerned about anyone but myself. I saw what happened when more than one UC went under together and then one gets in trouble. It distracts and one, if not both, wind up dead."

"You're not undercover here, Maggie. Depending on partners and a team is a huge advantage. You weren't going undercover to bring a crime family down, you went to talk to an informant. Having someone watch your back is a good thing. It's a necessary thing. Knowing someone is always looking out for you is a plus. You don't have to watch your back cause someone is there watching it for you. And the reverse is true. You're watching out for someone else."

She looks at him, understanding what he's saying. "I guess I have a lot of work to do, huh? I kind of have to change who I am." She swallows hard.

"No, no. You don't. Not who you are. Just how you work. There's a difference. I went through the same type of thing. When I first took over this task force, I was a big believer in the ends justified the means. However I got to the right end was all that mattered. And it didn't matter how I treated anyone else as long as we got the bad guys in the end." He laughs, thinking back to the first few months working with Danny. "I was given an emergency tutoring in how to work with a partner, on a full time basis, from Danny. Along with police procedures. But I learned and adapted. You can, too. But you gotta listen to the boss. And that's me."

"You really believe that? That I can change?"

"I wouldn't be sitting here trying to get you to understand just how dangerous what you did today was if I didn't think you could adapt."

"I really pissed you off, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. Besides going into a dangerous situation with no back up, you're so early into your therapy. You can't just jump back into what put you in in the first place. I'm serious. I was only looking for information not for you to jump back into field work."

"Steve, I'm sorry I did that but it did get information that we would've never found anywhere else. These houses need to be shut down and Karabu kicked off the islands. I agree with that, but you need to be careful. He is extremely dangerous. You and the team could be shut down and be facing legal problems if this isn't handled well. Once Chin gets through all the data, you'll see how ruthless this guy is. Honestly, the only way you're gonna be able to stop him here is to shut down the houses. He won't know how they were found out and won't want to risk exposure."

"How do you know that?"

"I read all the files and talked to the CI. The one thing this guy doesn't want is exposure. You take down these houses and make a big deal about it, he'll back off and think twice about coming here. You cannot go in like a bull in a china shop though. They will not hesitate to kill every kid and disappear."

He nods at her, realizing what she says is true. Busting their way into these houses would get all the kids killed and he's trying to save them. He glances down as his phone rings. Pulling it out of his pocket, he answers it. "Chin, what you got? Yeah, she is. Seriously? Nothing? Okay. Yeah, I'll be back." He ends the call and looks back at her. "Well, I guess I should listen to you, too."

"What do you mean?"

"This guy has Chin bugging out. He wasn't able to put anything together on the location of the houses, though he's still running a couple searches on abandoned properties and those sold for cash. Hoping we can put something together from the results. Seems Lou has had no luck on the CI you were talking with. Can't find him anywhere." He sighs loudly, running his hand over his face. He drops his head, looking at the floor. "I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but you may be right. We still need your help."

Not wanting to piss him off any more, she speaks quietly. "Whatever you want, Steve. I will do whatever you say; follow whatever rules you put in place. Okay?"

"I don't know. It goes against everything I believe right now. You have no business doing this. I have no right to put you in this situation yet here we are. If I want to shut down these scumbags, I have to put you back into play and risk your mental health, even your life. If I don't do that, I allow Karabu to set up shop here and extend his network into the states." He looks out the back door, not really seeing anything but unable to look at her. "Rock and a hard place. Dammit!" He suddenly stands up, moving across the room and back. He looks down at her, his eyes dark. He hates being manipulated, even when unintentional yet he has no other choice. He cannot allow this scum to put down roots on his island and the only way he can see to stop him is to let Maggie go back to meet this CI and get the intel on all the houses. It goes against every bit of common sense he has but he can't think of another way. This CI is hiding from everyone but she knows how to find him. He's the only lead they have right now and this needs to end soon, before it gains a solid foothold. He turns, walks to the back door again, pauses looking out and then turns back. "Fine, but you do EXACTLY as I say. You understand? You deviate from my plan one bit and I'll have you on a plane back to DC so fast you won't know what hit you." He sits on the coffee table facing her. "I have a bad feeling about this, Maggie. Please, abide by my rules. Work with this team on this. Don't go off on your own. Don't go off script, so to speak. If you agree to this, then tomorrow you'll go back to this informant and get the coordinates of the houses and that's all." He glares at her, daring her to go against him right now.

"I already said I'll play by your rules." She tells him, looking him in the eye. He sees no duality there and knows she's telling the truth. He nods, sighing loudly.

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"No, Steve, I said I'll play by your rules, but I can't take anyone in with me. Wire me up, but I need to go in alone. This guy is too squirrely. He'll rabbit the second he sees one of you. If that happens, we'll never get the location of those houses." She says, looking around at the team.

"You know she's right, Steve." Lou speaks up. "If this guy's as 'squirrely' as she says he is, he'll smell us coming and bug out."

Steve looks around at the rest of group, and then nods. "Fine. You'll have an ear bud in which will allow us to communicate back and forth. You'll also have a GPS tracker with mic on you so we know where you are at all times and can hear everything going on around you. If, at any time, I feel you're in any kind of danger, I'll pull you out. No questions, no negotiations. Got it?"

She nods. Holding out her hand, she's given the ear bud. Kono motions her into her office, but Maggie waives her off. "I'm fine here. Go ahead." She lifts her shirt so Kono can put the tracker on her. She laughs when everyone but Steve turns away. "No worries, fellas. I'm sure you've all seen it before." Kono laughs as Maggie pulls her shirt back down. "We're done. You can all turn back around." She looks Steve right in the eye, daring him to make any kind of comment. He raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

He reaches behind him on the table and kneels down, pulling up her left pant leg. "You are not going in naked." He says as he straps the ankle piece on. Pulling her pant leg down over it, he stands looking her in the eye. "Not that I want you to, but you use it if necessary. I'm hoping you won't but I'm not taking any chances." She nods at him. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a gold, Special Investigations shield, and holds it out to her. Her eyes get wide and she shakes her head no. "Take it. Again, just in case. It gives you any protection and authority you may need." He takes her hand and places it in her palm. "If anything, it'll buy you some time until we can get there." He curls her fingers around it.

Looking around, she sees nods all around from each member of the team. Looking down at her hand, she nods and puts the badge in her pocket. It's been a long time since she's had any kind of shield to wear and it makes her nervous. Her entire career had been about hiding who she is; keeping it a secret that she even carries a badge and here she was ready to put it on display. _I can't do this. I'm not ready for something like this. I can't put out there who I am...what I do._ She turns and moves quickly into Steve's office. Leaning on his desk, hands flat on the top, she breathes hard, trying to calm herself. She hears the door open and close and a presence is felt behind her. "What's wrong, Maggie?" That deep, soothing voice sounds.

"I can't do this, Steve." Her voice shakes.

TBC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**A/N: Any thoughts? Would be really nice, at this point, to hear what you think.**


	18. Chapter 18

The Meeting: Chapter Eighteen

He turns to the team and makes a cut motion across his throat. Chin moves and cuts off the mike on the GPS unit attached to her. Steve moves in front of her and tries to catch her eye. "Why not?"

She looks up at him. "You've given me a gun and a badge to go out and get information. You want to me to use one, the other, or even both, if needed. Steve, I've spent the last twenty-five years keeping that from being revealed and now I'm to go out and broadcast that. I can't."

"Hey, hey, hey. You don't have to reveal anything. It's just in case things go south. You're still meeting this guy as Elizabeth Conners, remember? Or whatever story you gave him. You said yourself he had no idea who you are. You're just going in to get information. That's all. We'll be tracking you and be as close as we can without spooking him, okay? Anything goes wrong, we'll be there. You just get the information. You're good at that. That's your specialty, remember? What you're good at? Just do that and you'll be fine."

She shakes her head. "I don't know. Putting this badge in my pocket and seeing all those faces out there depending on me to get this intel. It's too much. It's why I always worked alone. I may have had a lot of people depending on me for the intel I was able to recover, I never saw their faces or heard their voices. I just went and did my job and gathered everything I could. But this…this is different, Steve." She glances back at the room full of people staring at her.

"This is what being part of a team is all about, Maggie. They may all be expecting you to go out there and get that intel, but they'll be there for you and have your back all the way. Whatever you need, they're there." He takes her hand, which is holding the badge she'd pulled out of her pocket. "But no one expects you to do something you're not ready to do. We'll find another way. You just tell us where this CI is and we'll go pick him up and get the information out of him. Just say the word."

She takes a deep breath. Having talked to this scumbag yesterday, she knows that no matter what this team does, he won't talk. He has nothing to lose and everything to gain. If she doesn't go in, they'll never find these houses and help these kids. She can't abandon those kids. Letting the breath out, she looks into his eyes. "No. Let's do this." She slips her hand out of his, still holding the badge and puts it back in her pocket.

"You sure?"

She nods, "Yeah."

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She turns off the main road, down the alley where she met him the day before. Right before he'd rUn off, he said if she wanted more, to meet him back here, the same time on the next day.

"You think she's all right?" Danny asks Steve as they cruise the area.

"She's fine. Some nerves, but she'll be fine."

"Haven't heard a thing from her since she got in the car, Steve. She's been radio silent and that's not good. We have no real idea if the mike is working at this distance."

"It'll be fine, Danny." As if she could hear them, the radio is heard over the hidden mike. "See, I told you." To Maggie, as he turns on his comm. "Read you loud and clear, Maggie. How ya holding up?"

"Fine. Almost there." She turns into the back of an old warehouse and stops the car.

Steve and Danny hear the radio turn off and both look at the computer screen. "Chin," Steve yells to the front of the van, "Turn left up here and stop at the end. We'll be within fifty yards of where she just stopped."

Maggie gets out of the car and walks to the back, near the dumpster. "Vic? You here?" She looks around, her nose wrinkling at the smell emanating from the metal container.

"Lizzy? That you?" They all hear.

"Yeah. I'm back and I brought some food and cash for you." She moves around the end bin and sees him sitting on an old crate. She holds out the two bags she has in her hands and he snatches them away. Pawing through them, he stuffs the rolls she had purchased on the way over into his mouth.

"Thanks." He says, his mouth stuffed full of bread.

"No worries, Vic. Everything okay? You ran off yesterday in a hurry."

"No Mags, you'll scare him off." Danny murmurs, forgetting the comms were on. Steve waves his hand at him, telling him to shush.

"Can't stay in one place too long. Especially with the information I got. Gotta keep moving."

"I understand. Just wondering if we could talk about those missing kids some more."

He looks at her, cocking his head. "You sure you're not po-po?"

"What did I say yesterday?"

He nods, stuffing another roll in his mouth. She watches in horror as he insists on chewing with his mouth open. "Okay." It comes out muffled by the bread. "I told you about Karabu and how all these kids are in different places and one doesn't know about the next. An old friend of mine back in New York told me all about this guy and how he runs his sex houses: one doesn't know about the other so they can't turn on each other. He put me in touch with another friend of his here on the island and he let slip where all these houses are. He's a crack head and when he's high, he spills everything. So, why do you want this information anyway?"

Maggie looks at him, wondering what she should tell him. "I have a daughter who's been missing for a couple weeks now and I followed the clues here and then the trail just dried up. I've used almost every dime I have trying to find her. I've used up all my savings getting the info I did and it led me to you. Please, help my find my daughter. Tell me where these houses are so I can check them out…see if she's there."

Danny looks at Steve, who shrugs. Turning off his comm, "She's good. She thinks on her feet, Danny. I like it." He smiles as he taps his ear.

"I dunno, Lizzy. This guy's dangerous and if he catches you sneaking around, he won't hesitate to kill you. Or make part of his trade. You're still a looker, even at your age." He smiles as he pulls out the envelope. Opening it up, he flips through the bills. "A thousand?"

"And two thousand more if your information leads me to my daughter." She nods at him.

'What's she doing?' Danny mouths at Steve.

Vic stands up and looks around, up and down the alleyway to be sure no one else is around. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a dirty piece of paper. "Here. Addresses on all ten. But you better hurry. They only stay in one place for about two weeks. Most are new, so they should be there for a while. As long as the police don't spook 'em again." He hands the paper over to her.

She opens it and reads over the addresses. "You sure? Positive these are correct?" She glares at him and he backs away a little.

"Yeah, yeah. Just got these three nights ago. You're lucky to have found me so fast. You have about a week before three of them move."

She nods, placing the list in her pocket. "You don't know what this means to me. Thank you." She turns to walk away.

"What about the rest of my money?"

"When I find my daughter, I'll find you. Okay?"

"Okay. You better. I put my life on the line to give you that list. I'll need to lay low after this."

"Don't worry, Vic. I'll check these out and if I find her, I'll meet you back here in a week." She walks away, back to her car. Not until she's driving away does she say anything. "Got it, guys. Meet you back at the shop."

"Good job, Maggie. I even believed you had a daughter you're looking for. Smooth." Grover says.

"Yeah, good job, Maggie. You got all ten?"

"Yes, Steve, but you're not gonna like where they are." She says as she turns back onto the main road, seeing the van in her rear view mirror.

Pulling in to the Palace parking lot, she knows the van has gone around back so as not to attract attention. Getting out of the car, she walks in the front, flashing the badge she was carrying to get through the security line. Moving quickly up the stairs, she walks in the double doors and across the big seal on the floor. As she get to the table, she hears the doors open and Kono, Chin and Lou walk in followed by Steve and Danny. She turns back around to see Jerry coming in the same doors she did.

"You have the list?" Steve asks. She holds it up. He walks over and opens it up. "Son-of-a-bitch!" He crumples the paper in his hands.

"What is it, Steve?" Danny asks, leaning towards the hand holding the list.

"They're not all here on Oahu. Two are on Maui and two are on the Big Island. The rest are here, on Oahu. How the hell are we gonna bring all ten down being spread out this way?"

They all look at each other, not sure what to do next. Steve looks around and gets that look in his eyes.

"All right, big guy, what's that look?" Danny steps back.

"We need recon and surveillance. Chin, Kono, you go to the big island and watch those two. Danny, Lou, you go to Maui. I'll take here, with Duke and HPD. Now let me be clear…we do not engage. Right now, we need to gather intel on these houses so we can put together a plan. No matter what you see or hear, do not go in. Unless someone is in mortal danger, do not go in. I know it'll be tough but we need to take these places down. We need to stop this bastard before he gets any further in the US. You got that?"

They all nod, with a couple 'roger that's' being said. He glances over at Maggie and, having spent so much time with her, can tell she's pouting. "Maggie, I need you to stay here, with Jerry, and coordinate all the intel we send your way. You're good at that, huh? I mean, though you spent most of your time undercover, you were collecting all kinds of data and information on your marks. This is the same, only you'll be compiling it as it comes in. We need you here, handling it." He nods at her.

She shakes her head slightly, knowing he's just pacifying her.

"All right, Steve, but we need those addresses." Danny picks up the crumpled piece of paper. Unfolding it, they can both see several of the addresses are now smudged and illegible.

"Fuck!" He leans on the table on his knuckles.

Maggie moves around the table, pushing Steve aside. "Out of my way, Dopey!" She begins typing, pulling up maps of the Big Island, Maui and Oahu.

"What's she doing, Steve? She have any idea what she's doing?"

"Stow it, Grumpy. I know exactly what I'm doing." Maggie glances at Danny. She types in the two addresses on the island of Hawaii and they pop up on the map. She follows with the two on Maui and then starts on Oahu.

"Maggie? How do you know these are right?" Chin inquires.

"Oh, she's got an eidetic memory." Steve comments.

Chin raises an eyebrow. "Really?"

Steve nods, watching. As each address pops up on this island, he's amazed at how she can remember such detail. "Okay, these are all ten. I'm sending the two on the big island to you and Chin, Kono. Danny, Lou, the two on Maui and the rest to Steve." She finishes with the last address. "As you can see, this guy's not making it easy." She highlights the addresses shown on the map. "On the other two islands, they are as far apart as possible, keeping them from interacting with each other or interfering with the other's business. Here on Oahu, they are spread apart but the population is more dense and this is where most of the tourists seem to come. Makes sense to have the majority here." She glares at Steve.

Giving a nod toward his office, she turns and precedes him through door. "Okay, Maggie, what's wrong?" He leans against the desk, turned toward the windows. She stands facing him but hanging her head.

"What're YOU doing? Grounding me? Having me sift through collected data?"

"We've been through this. I was against you going out this morning. Luckily, it turned out okay but I'm not taking any chances. We can get the surveillance done with some help from the HPD and Duke. I'm not putting you out on a two-day stakeout. You are more valuable putting it all together here. Just watching how you entered the addresses, pinpointed them on the maps, even adding their coordinates is what we need. It's second nature to you."

She eyes him, noticing out of the corner of her eye the entire team watching the two of them.

Steve looks closely at the maps. He shakes his head, just wondering how complicated this is getting. Moving to the door, he leans out, "All right, get all the intel, guys and go home and pack a bag. I'll make the travel arrangements." He turns back to his desk, moving around it and sitting in his chair. Looking up at her, he tries to read her face. "All right, out with it."

She sits down on the chair on the other side of the desk. "Okay, I understand you wanting to protect me. I know you want to keep me from backsliding. I appreciate that. But you need help, Steve. You need people out there you can trust and know can do the job."

"I have them out there. I know the team and I know Duke and his boys will do a great job. Sure, I am keeping you 'grounded' so to speak, but I really do need someone like you here who can gather and organize the plethora of intel that's gonna come pouring in from ten different people. Am I taking advantage of your memory? Hell, yeah! I know you won't forget anything and will be sure it's all collected. If this guy is as bad and cunning as you say, we need to have any advantage we can and getting all the intel in the right places is key. So I need you here, working with Jerry, to get that done."

She stares at him, not sure just how honest he's being with her right now. She has no reason to doubt what he's saying though, knowing that between her and Jerry they'll be able to organize everything they got and make some sense of it; some kind of plan. She smiles at him. "That's what you want; someone who can put all this together and come up with some kind of plan to take all these houses down at the same time. Or at least give you several ideas on how to do it."

_She doesn't miss anything._ He smiles. "I'll admit. I'm at a loss. I have limited ideas on how to take down ten houses, on three different islands, all at the same time. You spent so much time living on the fly and making plans at a moment's notice to adapt to your situation, I really think you're a huge advantage in helping us stop this. I'm willing to take any help on this as long as it doesn't have you heading out and getting yourself killed. At least, not until you're ready do it all on your own."

"Yeah, thanks." Her words drip with sarcasm. She watches as his fingers run over the keyboard, booking travel arrangements for Kono, Chin, Danny and Lou. "So, two days, huh?"

"I would love to watch for a week to get a complete idea of their comings and goings but we don't have that kind of time. Two days should be enough. At least give us a good idea of the best time to breach and not endanger those kids. That's priority."

"You sure you're gonna be able to just watch? You know what's happening to those kids. What if they have 'visitors' who get violent? Can you just stand by?"

Steve looks out the window for a moment and then back at her. "I'm hoping it won't come to that. It's the reason I need you here, working on a plan. Developing it on the fly so if that happens we can act and get them all within hours of each other, if needed."

She nods her head. "Okay. Makes sense."

His eyes get hard, "My rules. Got it?"

She rolls her eyes. He glares at her. "Okay, fine. Your rules. I stay here in the office, with Jerry, and work the intel. I do not venture out on my own to meet with anyone or go off on some side op without telling anyone. I got it, Steve. I said I would play by your rules…and I will."

Steve nods, turning back to his computer. She looks down as her phone rings. "Dammit. What the hell does he want?" Annoyance fills her voice.

"Who is it?" He looks up.

"My fake boss. I gotta take this. He's gonna rip me a new one and I have to take it. Need to keep up appearances." She holds up the phone, shaking it a bit.

Not wanting to get in the way, Steve gets up and gives her the privacy of his office. Walking out to the table, he finishes the travel arrangements for the other four and looks up. "Okay, so what are you waiting for? An invitation?" He touches the screen. "There, each one of your invitations. Flight info, rental cars and local contacts. Fill them in on why your there, but tell them to stay away. We don't want to spook them."

Kono nods at his office. "Everything okay?"

He looks at her, his eyes softening a bit. "Its fine, Kono. Just need to get her used to working with a team. Remember when we first started?" He smiles at her now.

She nods, almost laughing. "Yeah, you were a bit of a cowboy. Had to do everything your way and on your own. I remember."

"Well, she's twice as bad." He gives a small laugh. "Don't worry. I have everything under control."

She smiles at him, thinking back on the early days of this task force. It was a wild ride and maybe having new blood will help to bring back those times. "We'll see, boss. We could use a swift kick in the ass. We've gotten a bit complacent. New blood might help with that. Think she's gonna stick around?"

Steve hides his shock at that question. He had not figured they would be thinking about Maggie joining them, but he's not gonna let it slip by. "You think she'd be a good add?"

Kono looks at Chin and then Lou, "Yeah, I do. Another female around here would be nice, too. Too much testosterone at times. And I get the feeling that Maggie won't take shit from anyone, male or female!" She smiles big, loving the thought of another badass female on the team.

Steve looks at the other two. Chin just nods his head once. Lou grins at him, "She'll definitely shake things up a bit and keep you on your toes, man. We could use that around here. And, she brings a fresh eye. We definitely can use that."

"No issues with the whole dual identity thing?"

"Steve, she was doing a job. She let you know when it mattered. She risked all she'd been working on for the last nine months to keep you and Danny from being killed. She knows where her priorities lie. I think, with a little work, she'd be a great fit. I'm sure you've already thought all about this, though. Haven't you?" Chin grins at him.

"A little. We'll see if she can follow my rules and work with a team. After that, if she decides to stay…who knows." He smiles at them, glancing over at Danny, sitting in his office trying to ignore what's going on in the rest of the office. As he turns to go talk to him, he hears knuckles rap on the glass of his office door. She motions for him to come back in the office as she stuffs her phone back into her pocket. His brow furrows as he walks back in, seeing the look on her face. "What's going on?"

"That was my 'boss'. He saw my inquiries on the server and wanted to talk to me about my interest in Karabu."

"What does he care?"

She shakes her head, a grin on her face now. "He just likes to be important. Or at least feel as if he is."

"What'd he say? And I thought Bryce was your boss?"

"Bryce is…in the back ground. This guy is …in the official records. Based on my level, Bryce can't be listed as my direct report. So, this clown is listed as my supervisor and we let him believe he actually has a say in what I do."

Steve shakes his head. "Not sure I understand or even want to. What did he have to say?"

She sits on the arm of the chair. "He wanted to know why I was inquiring into Karabu. I'm supposed to be on medical leave and have no business using the server and looking into someone like him."

"You're not gonna get into any kind of trouble, are you?"

She laughs. "From him? Hell, no! He has no real authority over me. Just a figurehead. Bryce has me letting him believe he's my boss but I report to Bryce. Any op I've gone on was a 'special request' from Bryce. The fact that he's monitoring either my actions or Karabu's file makes me a little suspicious."

"Why?"

She looks into his eyes, putting her trust in him. "This guy has been suspected of being dirty for quite some time but no one's ever been able to prove anything. If he's monitoring me, that's fine. But if he's monitoring Karabu, well…"

"Then he's dirty." She nods, not wanting to say the words out loud. Steve studies her. "That's why you report to him, isn't it? You're undercover in your own department?"

She nods again, knowing he's not a fan of this type of operation. "Bryce asked me to keep an eye on him and if I see anything suspicious to let him know. With the fact that I'm away so much, I haven't seen much. But this is suspicious."

Steve will agree with that. If he wasn't in Karabu's pocket, he wouldn't have cared. "What else did he say?"

"That if I continue to look into Karabu, I would be disciplined when I return. If I return."

"He threatened your job?"

"He tries. Not much he can really do but draw attention to himself. I'm technically a higher level than he is but the type of work I like to do keeps me down under him."

Steve looks at her, marveling at how she can keep her cool. "So, what're you gonna do?"

"Nothing. Not gonna change what I'm doing or let him try to scare me into backing off. You need the information and if I have to log back on for anything, he'll have to live with it or try something. I guarantee he'll let it go."

"No concerns about problems in the future?"

"Only if I go back."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think she's gonna stay? All right, think she's gonna let him know how she feels? What's your take? And what about the rest of the team? Let me know...


	19. Chapter 19

The Meeting: Chapter Nineteen

Steve's heart skips a beat at those words. Not letting anything show on his face, he secretly hopes she decides to stay. Trying to be cool, he can't wait to ask. "So you think you might stay?" He wants to avoid her eyes but knows that would be too obvious so he keeps eye contact.

"Still not sure. I mean, the house is done and I should really give you back your privacy." _Especially after the other morning!_ "I've overstayed my welcome…by weeks. Have to see how I feel in the house. I know it's gonna be hard since it was his but it keeps me close, too. I don't know. Need to weigh all my options. You know, all the pros and cons. You have any ideas?"

Not clear as to what she's asking but hopes she's asking what he wants, he decides to avoid at this time. "Maybe we can sit down and discuss this over a couple of beers on the beach when this case is over."

She smiles at him and his heart melts. He has no idea what he'd do if he can't see that smile every day. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

He nods, already planning what he is gonna do and say. He needs to be sure she stays here, builds a new life for herself…, and hopefully include him. A knock on the door has both of them turning away and breaking eye contact. Jerry's standing there motioning for both of them to come out.

"What's going on, Jer?" Steve asks, following her over to the table.

"I was surfing around on the dark net and came across this." He swipes the table and a posting shows up on the big screen.

"What is this, Jer?" Steve moves in front of the table reading through the post.

"Seems this is where they get 'clients'. I've been trying to find out where they come from and here it is. This Karabu guy certainly wants to stay off the grid. At least, off the 'popular' sites. Going through the dark net, he gets it out to some of the most perverted, sadistic people. Male and female."

"Female? Really?"

"Oh, Steve, women can be more sadistic when it comes to torture and sex than men. Believe me. I've seen some of the sickest things and most were instigated by women."

Steve looks at her, knowing she's worked with some of the most brutal men in some of the most powerful families but he never expected this. "I have a hard time believing that."

She walks around the table and stands next to him, staring at the screen. "Think of it this way. Women are still thought to be the fairer sex, especially when it comes to sex. Yes, we have been able to explore our sexual nature more freely in the last couple of decades but the really twisted, sadistic things? No, they remain in the shadows, basements, and dungeons. There are women out there that like to dominate, cause pain and even maim their partners or their slaves. And this," she waves her hand at the posting, "gives them the means to do that without any consequences or recriminations. I'll bet that women make up at least 50% of the business." She looks at him, disbelief covering his face. "The things I've seen while undercover…well, let's just say there were times I was ashamed to be a woman." She looks away and walks back around the table. "You know, maybe I could respond. Pretend to be a new client. Here on holiday, wanting to indulge some kinky interests." She moves to the keyboard, ready to answer the add.

"Stop!" Steve says harshly. "You just can't stop, can you?" He moves around the table, grabbing her hands. "You are to do no such thing, Maggie. You understand? I don't anyone going in that way. It's too dangerous." His gaze is like ice, his eyes dark and angry.

"But it would be the perfect in and best way to get a lay of the land. I could get an idea of how the houses are set up…" Her eyes become animated and he can see the excitement in her body.

"No, Maggie. I said no. It's too dangerous. These people don't hesitate to kill their captives, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to kill an undercover cop. We have their coordinates and the manpower to watch them. That's all we need to work up a viable plan. No one needs to go undercover. That's something you need to get into your head and change about your thinking, Maggie. Not everything has a need for an undercover op."

"But Steve…" She's almost pleading.

"My rules, Maggie. My rules. This gives us some more intel that can be followed up on. See if you can find any trail to any of their clients. I know it can't be done on the dark net, but maybe they responded via the regular internet. Follow them that way. Get as much info as you can on who they are and where they can be found. If we bring down the houses and the clients, Karabu may just crawl back into the hole he came out of and we can get Interpol or someone else on him. But you are NOT to respond or set up any kind of appointment. Got that?" He glares at her. She simply nods. "I need to hear it, Maggie."

"Fine." She rolls her eyes. "No posting only intel gathering. I got it. Your rules."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart." She crosses her hand over her heart. Looking up at him, she relents. "I promise."

He looks over at Jerry. "I'm counting on you to help her keep her promise, Jerry. She is in no way to contact these people. Understand? No contact what-so-ever! No matter what you both find, you are not to answer any of these ads." He tasks Jerry with one of the hardest things he'll ever have to do. Jerry looks at Maggie then nods toward Steve's office. Moving out of earshot, he looks at his boss.

"You sure, Commander? I mean, she can take me out with one hit and do whatever she wants. How am I gonna stop her?"

"Don't worry, Jer. She won't hurt you. Just knowing she's being watched will keep her inline. Help me out here and do this. Don't let her contact any of these people. Just gather information, okay?" He pats Jerry on the back.

"Roger that." He smiles and walks back over to the table, taking down the add.

"Okay. I'm gonna go talk to Duke and get him and the boys the intel and coordinates then head home and pick up some more gear. I'll be taking the one in Halawa. It should be the most active and I can get the best recon on it. I'll let you know who will be where once Duke and I make the arrangements. You two work in shifts to give each of you a chance to catch some sleep. Compile everything you get and work up a plan, Maggie. I'm guessing we'll need to act quickly."

"You got it." They both say, watching him walk out the door.

"Agent Finneran, please don't put me on the spot here and go against McGruff. I really like working here. We both know I can't stop you from doing whatever you want so I'm asking you nicely to play by his rules."

She smiles, dropping her head before bringing it back up to look him in the eyes. "Don't worry, Jerry. I'll follow his rules. I don't want to deal with his wrath if I don't, so don't worry. I'll be a good girl." She places a hand on his shoulder. "And please, call me Maggie."

**A/N: I know it's short. I hope to have a full chapter next time. Life gets in the way. Please let me know what you think1**

 


	20. Chapter 20

The Meeting: Chapter Twenty

Hours later, she's sitting at the table, Jerry passed out on the couch in Chin's office, looking over the placement of the entire team. Lou, Danny, Chin and Kono had all landed and, with little to no fuss and she has the map marked with their locations. Looking over the map of Oahu, she has the locations of Duke, HPD and Steve shining brightly. The sun was going down and she fully expects things to pick up at most of the houses soon. Darkness brings out all kinds and the type of person that frequented this type of place was one of the worst.

"Hey, Maggie, got eyes on us?" She hears that deep, calm voice come over the comm.

"Yeah. Jerry hooked us into the satellite feeds. I can see you, Duke, two more of the houses on surveillance cameras. Another one here on Oahu on satellite along with one on Maui and the big island. I got it for the next two hours and then darkness for the next ten. Once it's back, I'll focus on the the other houses I can't see now and map them out. Once I have that complete I'll have a good idea of how to approach each one."

"See, I knew you'd be an advantage back at base. Already working on infiltration. It's second nature to you. I knew it."

She can hear him smiling. "Wipe that silly grin off your face, McGarrett. All right, I admit it. I'm not loving this but it's keeping me busy."

"Good."

"Anything going on there?"

"Pretty quiet. But I expect that may change once full night sets in."

"Yeah, after ten is when these places become busy. I'm just hoping we caught them on a couple of off days, for those kids sakes. Shouldn't pick up until Thursday. On average."

"Hopefully. I don't wanna have to go in before we're ready."

She looks down as her phone rings. "Hang on, Steve. Lou's calling me. Hey, Lou. What's up?"

"Not much. I'm in place and ready to spend the next two days sittin' on my ass and hoping nothing happens."

"Pretty much what everyone's hoping, Lou. Any word from Danny?"

"Yeah, he's in place, too. Anything on your end?"

"Steve's in place along with Duke and HPD. Haven't heard from Chin or Kono, yet. You?"

"Nada. But I'm sure they'll be dialing in any time now." He chuckles. "Tell the big Kahuna all's good here. Later." He disconnects.

"Well, Lou and Danny are in place. Just waiting on Chin and Kono." She informs him.

"Okay. I'm gonna check out the surrounding area and check back in in a couple of hours. If there are any issues, let me know right away. Otherwise, just keep logging any inbound data and formulating a plan."

"You got it. Later." She taps the comm and it goes silent. Looking over the full map, she looks to see which would be the most active, based on population density. She's itching to be out there, doing something other than collecting data. _Stop it, Maggie. His rules. If you want to stay here and build a life, you're gonna need a job and this would be perfect so learn how to work within this fabulous team. Don't blow it!_

For the next two days, she logs almost all the incoming intel, having Jerry fill in during the afternoons while she works on infiltration. Almost all of them were quiet, though they did all have clients come in on the second night and giving them the opportunity to see them in action. She hated the idea of not helping those poor kids but unless it became deadly, there was to be no moving in.

"Mags, you there?" She hears on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, Danny, I am. What've you got?" She opens up the file on the house he's watching and pulls up the map.

"Four johns went in about an hour ago. Two of the residents moved outside to keep watch. I'm guessing the third is keeping an eye on their 'property'. I don't know how much more of this I can take. We know there are seven kids in there ranging from eight to eighteen. The thought of what is going on in there turns my stomach."

"I know. Believe me, I know. But in less than 48 hours we will have these places shut down and these kids getting the help they need and reunited with their families. We have to think long term on this. If Karabu gets any hint we're watching, he'll kill all the kids and pack up. We'll lose our chance to stop this."

"You know, speaking of that, what's gonna keep him from just opening more after these are gone? I mean, that's what he would do if he just shut these down and killed the kids. What's to stop him from that?"

"Exposure. Pressure from us. He's been so successful because he's been able to work under the radar. Shutting down one or two does no real harm to his operation. But taking down all ten at one time? Well, then he knows he's under surveillance and will want to stay hidden. So he'll back off the islands. If he comes back, it won't be for a long time. And we'll be here waiting and watching."

Danny bites his tongue and the mention of we, not wanting to bring attention to it. _Maybe she's just speaking in general terms. I can't believe she plans on staying._ "That we will." He answers. "Okay, looks like they're gonna be awhile so I'm gonna hang up. I'll call back when they leave."

"Roger that." She answers, placing her phone on the table.

"We'll be waiting and watching?" She hears in her ear. She'd forgotten it was still on.

"Yeah. If he tries to make another incursion here, I'll be able to track that and let you know." She fumbles her way through the explanation.

"Oh, okay." He smiles to himself, knowing she is leaning more towards staying here permanently.

"You got anything for me, McGarrett?" She almost growls.

"Nope. Just watching nothing much. The last 'clients' left half an hour ago and the house is dark. They're not expecting any more tonight."

"Okay. I'm gonna check in with everyone else. I think Danny's the only one with any activity right now. That's good. I figured it wouldn't be that busy."

"Ten-four. I'll check in later. I better find Jerry at the comms at that time." He warns her.

"Aye-aye, sir." She snaps at him before tapping her ear and cutting off any further discussion. _What the hell are you doing? What am I talking about, 'we'?_ She shakes her head and starts typing.

 

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50

 

Steve walks in and sees Jerry sanding a he Smart table, looking refreshed and awake. "Hey, Jer, You're looking good."

"Hey boss man. Back already?"

"Wasn't gonna get anymore from sitting around there. The others should be back in a few hours." Looking around, "Where's Maggie?"

Jerry points to his office where all the blinds are closed. Steve walks to the door and sees her stretched out on his couch, sound asleep. "How long has she been in there?"

"About an hour. She refused to go to sleep until she had he entire plan laid out and ready To go. She's been up for the last two days, pretty much. I almost had to carry her in there to get her to get some rest."

Steve shakes his head. "She wants to help so much…she's gonna burn herself out and take ten steps back." He mumbles under his breath. To Jerry, "I'm gonna go and take a shower and change clothes. I'll be back in thirty. DO NOT wake her for anything. Got it?"

Jerry nods, not planning on bother her at all. He'll let Steve do that.

.

"Hey, Maggie, wake up." He gently places his hand on her shoulder. He's kneeling beside the couch trying to wake her. He really doesn't want to, but the rest of the team will be here in less than an hour and he wants to go over the plan before they get here. "Come on. I know you're tired but we need to go over this."

Suddenly her eyes fly open and she sits upright. "What's going on?" She spits out, breathing hard.

"Hey, it's all right. Everything's fine." He tries to calm her. "You okay?" He dips his head, trying to catch her eyes.

She looks at him, shakes her head slightly and grins. "Sorry. I was dreaming. Or more accurately, remembering." She takes a deep breath. "I'm fine now. What's going on?" She swings her legs off the couch and moves to stand.

He holds out his hand, helping her up. "The rest of the team will be here soon and I wanted to go over your plan before they get here."

She nods. Looking around, she asks, "How long was I out?"

"Guessing about three hours. You were out when I first returned. I told Jerry to be sure you weren't disturbed. He said you haven't slept since we went out on recon?"

She shakes her head. "Too much to do. Needed to make sure I had something in place, just in case. No time to sleep." She looks up at him, sleep still in her eyes.

He gives her a stern look, which she ignores and he shakes his head. _She is so much like me in some respects. The job is the most important thing. Nothing else matters._ "Okay, where's your laptop? Let's go over this before the others get here."

She points out to the table and goes out to get it. Coming back in, he'd pulled up a chair behind the desk and offers her the big chair. Sitting down, she pulls open the computer and brings up her plan.

 

Danny walks in, his mood grumpy from no sleep and an uncomfortable vehicle. There had been no SUV's available and only a small, compact car so he hadn't even been able to stretch out. He felt as if he'd slept in his Camaro for the last two days. Everyone else was there, staring at him as if he was late. "What?" he asks, grouchily.

Steve shakes his head. "Nothing, Danno. Let's go. Maggie and I have come up with a pretty good plan. It's gonna allow us to hit all the houses at the same time to avoid anyone contacting Karabu."

Danny glances at everyone, anxiously awaiting this plan. He still wasn't too sure about her involvement but he's willing to give it a listen. They spend the next two hours going over the plan, making some changes here and there, but for the most part, remaining with what Steve and Maggie had originally worked up.

"Steve, why isn't Mags taking one of the houses?" Lou chips in. "She worked up most of this plan. She should be involved in taking them down."

Steve gives him an evil eye, not wanting to address this in front of everyone. "She's invaluable here, working the intel." He realizes how lame that actually sounds.

"Mags, do you wanna be sitting here while we do all the work?" Lou asks.

She loves when he calls her by that nickname. She feels part of the team already. "Not really, Lou, but it's his rules." She points her thumb toward Steve.

"Aw, come on, man. We've seen what she can do and I don't think we need to worry about her being able to take care of herself. She deserves to be in on this." He grins at her. She's growing fond of this gentle giant.

Steve, his mind made up, glares at the captain. "We need someone here, keeping an eye on things." He states.

"We got Jerry for that. He can handle things here. He loves being the controller. We need people out there who can run the situation. And from the way she's handled herself since she's been here, she can definitely take control of a situation." He pushes.

"She's familiar with the layout of each place. She can direct everyone from here." He says, with less conviction.

"That's why she should be out there. She knows those houses. She can be a huge asset at one of them. I say we have her take one. With what we've seen and what she's had to put together, she deserves at least that, man."

Steve glances around the room, looking each member in the eye. "The rest of you wanna chime in?"

Chin just nods his head. Kono smiles and nods emphatically. Looking at Danny, Steve knows he'd prefer for her to be on a plane back to DC but he questions him with his eyes. "Fine. She's got one hell of a plan worked out here and, yeah, she deserves to be in on this. Give her the house in Halawa. Doesn't seem too bad and it's close to the one you're taking." He glares at his brother.

Steve looks at the map laid out on the table. Looking at all the faces again, he knows he's outnumbered. "Fine, but Duke's going in with you. As backup only." He holds up his hand. "I'll have Kim and Juniper lead the other two houses here. The FBI's taking the two on the big island and Danny, you and Chin are taking the two on Maui. Let's get going, then. We plan on breaching at seven tomorrow morning. I need to get over and brief Duke and the rest of the HPD. Maggie, you're coming with me." He nods at her, needing to get her alone.

"You're not seriously considering doing this, are you?" He asks her as they walk over to HPD.

"Steve, you need to stop worrying so much. I'm working with Jayden and I'm not made of glass. I'm not gonna break just cause I do some work. It's been almost two months since Trick's death and I'm dealing with it. I can do this. It's different from what I'm used to and I wanna help." She smiles up at him.

"I just don't think you should push yourself. Not yet, at least. I know from experience."

Stopping in front of him, just outside the front doors of HPD, she frowns at him. "How long did you wait after you were tortured the last time before you went back to work?" She cocks and eyebrow at him. "Hmm?"

He shakes his head. "No, that's completely different."

"Yeah, it's worse. I wasn't tortured and had my mind completely fucked with. I'm dealing with extreme depression cause my life sucks and my baby brother was murdered. I didn't have someone try to alter my reality."

He studies her, not realizing how much she knows. That information wasn't available to just anyone. "Fine. But as I said, I'm keeping an eye on you. Duke's going to be backing you up on this and there will be no discussion."

She nods, turning to the front doors. Moving quickly, he opens the door for her and directs her to where they are meeting the group they'll be working with.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A warning that the next couple of chapters have mentions of child prostitution, deviant sexual acts, torture, bestiality, and rape. No graphic detail but necessary to the story line. We are at the beginning of the working relationship. Where will that lead?

 

Chapter Twenty-One

Moving quietly through the door, she feels Duke right behind her. She can see two young women asleep on the couch in the main room and she motions for Duke to cover them. Heading to the back of the house, she's followed by two more HPD officers. Gently opening the door to the master bedroom, her stomach heaves at the sight. The leader in this house is lying sound asleep, his arm around a young girl of twelve or so, completely naked. Maggie wants to put a bullet in his brain but refrains from it, as they need everyone alive. Creeping up to the side of the bed, she nods to the officer behind her to go to the other side near the young girl. Once she's in place, Maggie puts the muzzle of her gun against the right temple of the scum in the bed and watches as the young officer reaches out for the girl. Pressing down hard on the gun, she leans over right above his ear, "Yeah, this is a gun against your head and if you move a muscle, I'll put a bullet through your head." She nods again to the officer and she gently wakes the girl, urging her out of the bed. The guy starts to move his arm further around her for his protection when Maggie puts all her weight on her left arm and hisses in his ear. "Didn't you hear me? Move again and I'll blow your brains out." She watches as the young officer pulls the young girl out from under his arm and wraps her in a blanket. Waiting until they are away from the bed, she watches them go out the door and looks back at him. "I wanna see both hands, out front. NOW!" He places both hands on the bed in front of him. Grabbing his right hand, not moving her gun, she twists it behind his back.

"I got ya." She hears from behind her. Holstering her gun, she shifts him up enough to grab his other arm, bring it behind him and cuff them together.

"Hey, I got no clothes on. You can't take me out like this!"

"I can do whatever I damn well please. I should just put you down right here, but that is too good for you. Let's see how you like being someone's slave." She drags him from the bed and stands him up. Glancing at him, she can't help but comment, "Well, at least you'll be a decent receiver." She smiles at the male officer standing next to her. "Find something to cover this piece of trash. I don't care what." She moves to the door, looking out into the main room. All seems quiet so she assumes Duke has the two female suspects under wraps. She turns back to the room and sees the officer pulling up a pair of board shorts on the suspect.

"Maggie, you need to see this." She hears from behind. Turning, she sees Duke standing in the hall, pointing to one of the smaller bedrooms. The look on his face tells her this is something she really does not want to see. Glancing back at the other officer, he nods and she follows Duke. On walking in the room, her stomach heaves and she has to turn away and vomit in the hallway. "Mark that, Duke. I'm sorry."

"No worries, Maggie. I would've too, if I'd eaten this morning." He smiles and nods back to the room. She turns back and walks in, the smell causing her to dry heave. Before her eyes, a young girl and boy are lying on the floor, a dirty blanket underneath them. Both are bloody and unconscious. The girl can't be more than sixteen and the boy eighteen. She can see they've been sexually tortured and brutally beaten and burned. Moving to the girl's side, she carefully feels for a pulse. Leaning over, she feels for the boy. "I got pulses for both. Faint, but they're there. Duke, where's EMS?"

"On their way in now." He moves aside. Two paramedics come in, both looking a little green in the face as they see the two young ones. "I know, but let's focus on the job and get these two in." Maggie steps back. She watches for a minute, making sure they are handled with care and then feels a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she sees Duke nod in the direction of the third bedroom. She follows him out, signaling another officer to watch and steps into the other small room. Huddled on the mattress, she sees four young children, three girls and one boy, all between the ages of eight and twelve. She approaches them, crouching down about two feet away. They huddle back as far away as then can, terrified looks on their faces.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm police. Here, take a look." She pulls the badge off her waist and holds it out. The all look at each other and the oldest girl tentatively reaches out and takes it from her. "It's all right." Maggie smiles, sitting back on her heels. "I'm here to take you out of here. You'll never have to see this place again. I promise." The older girl looks her in the eye. Maggie nods, "Never again." She smiles again, seeing the girl relax, just a bit. "How about if I just sit here with you for a bit? Is that all right?"

The older girl looks around and then nods, slightly. Maggie sits down, crossing her lets over one another and looks at them. They don't look to be too physically injured, the older girl being the one that was in the bed with the suspect she cuffed. The middle girl seems to be sitting uncomfortably and Maggie hopes it's not what she thinks, but she knows she's hoping for too much. Very slowly, she scoots closer to the mattress until her knee is touching it. None of them back away so she takes that as a good sign. "Can you tell me your names?" She asks, looking from one to the other.

"I'm Kayla." The older girl says. She looks to the boy, "He's Tommy. She's Molly," she points to the youngest girl, "and that's Victoria." She points to the middle girl. Maggie looks at each one, giving them her best smile…the one that melts Steve's heart.

"My name is Maggie." She moves slowly up on the dirty mattress in the middle of their impromptu circle. "I'm with the special police here on the island. Do you believe me?" She glances around at all of them. They all nod and she relaxes. "Good. How old are each of you?" As they tell her, they relax as they realize she does not intend to harm them. She sits with them, asking questions about what they like and where they live, hoping to get as much information as possible. She glances at the door, seeing EMS go by with the other two kids and then gives her attention back to these kids.

Duke watches her, nodding at her at one point that they need to get the kids out so CSU can get in and process this room. She nods, signaling to give her a few more minutes.

Thirty-five minutes later, she's still in the room with the kids, not wanting to rush them. They are still skittish anytime someone else comes in the the room and she shoos them away, calming the kids back down.

"Duke, what's going on?" Duke turns to see Steve coming down the hall.

"You okay, Commander?" He notices the cut on the side of Steve's head, near his temple and the bruising starting on his jaw and cheek.

"M' fine, Duke, thanks. Why'd you call?"

He nods to the room, "She's been in there for almost forty-five minutes with the young kids from this house. We need to get them to the hospital for any evidence and allow CSU into that room to process. Any time someone tries to go in, the kids start crying and screaming and they have to back out. I don't know where to go from here."

Steve nods, looking in the door. He sees her sitting on the dirty mattress, arms around the two older girls, the younger one sitting close to her knees; the young boy still sitting a few inches away, not ready to be touched. The two older girls have tears running down their faces, relieved to have someone touching them with care and comfort and not in any inappropriate way. He moves slowly and quietly into the room, not wanting to startle them. "Maggie?" He says in a low, steady voice.

She raises her eyes to him, questioning his presence. The kids pull close to her, not wanting this large, intimidating man near them. "Oh, it's okay. He works with me. See? He's got a badge just like mine. He's here to help, too. He won't hurt you." She tries to calm them down.

Steve crouches down to not seem so menacing. "She's right. I don't wanna hurt you." He holds out his badge, just as Maggie had done earlier. Molly reaches out and runs her fingers over the badge. Looking Steve in the eye, she gives a small grin. He smiles back at her and nods. "That's right. I'm police, just like her and I just want to get you out of here, never to return."

They all look at Maggie, questioning her about what he just said. It was exactly what she'd told them. "Yes, never to return. We promise." She hugs the two girls close, smiling at the other two. They all look at Steve, relaxing a bit. "We won't let anyone else hurt you and promise to reunite you with your parents as soon as we can."

Steve nods and signals to Maggie he needs to talk to her. She shakes her head, unwilling to leave these kids alone. "Come on, Maggie. We need to get them to the hospital."

She knows it's what they need to do, but these kids have been through so much she doesn't want to traumatize them anymore. "Listen, I need to talk to Steve," she nods at him, "just for a few minutes. Duke is gonna stay with you. He's a policeman, too. You've seen him standing outside the door. He won't hurt you, okay?" She looks at all of them. Slowly, they nod, eyes wide looking at Duke. He smiles as he walks into the room. Steve stands, holding out his hand to her. She unwinds herself from the kids, taking his hand and moving out of the room. "What?" Annoyance fills her voice.

"Why're you angry? We need to get those kids to the hospital and finish working this house. Duke says you've been in there almost an hour. Evidence is degrading as we speak. You know this. Why are you still in there?"

"Because those kids have been through hell and I don't want to be just another adult brushing them aside. They've lost all trust in adults and I was working on getting some semblance of that back. The last thing they need is to be rushed off to some strangers to be poked and prodded. They need to be handled with kid gloves."

He moves her outside the house. "I understand that. I had the same thing, but we can't wait forever. We need to move things along."

She looks at him, disbelief on her face. "Oh, really? Did you have two kids who were tortured and beaten so severely they are barely alive. They were taken out of here before you showed up, Steve. I actually lost my breakfast when I saw them. They were bleeding from every orifice. And these kids were made to watch what was done to them. I can see it in their eyes." She turns as she hears her name.

"Agent Finneran? We have several dogs in a kennel behind the house. What should we do with them?" A young officer approaches them.

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Again, another warning: mentions of bestiality and deviant sexual acts. Aftermath of the previous chapter.
> 
> Thank you to all who are joining me on this journey!

 

Chapter Twenty-Two

Maggie puts her hand to her mouth, retching and dry heaving into it. "Oh fuck, no." She goes to her knees. Steve tries to catch her but misses and she lands hard on the ground.

"What? What is it, Maggie?" He kneels next to her.

She spits out the bile, placing both hands on her thighs and breathing heavy. "Call animal control. They'll all need to be put down." She shakes her head. Using Steve's shoulder, she forces herself back to her feet. "Keep everyone away from them until they get here." She holds out her hand to Steve.

"Why do they have to be put down, Maggie?"

She sighs loudly, a sad look in her eyes. "They were only here for one reason, Steve." His brow furrows and she gives a little lopsided grin at his innocence. "They can't be re-homed. They're not pets. They were trained to do one thing. Follow me." She slowly makes her way to the back of the property.

Going into the shed, he's amazed at how clean and well kept the kennels are. The dogs are all sitting, watching as they walk in. Maggie nods at the officer standing to the side and she turns to the cages. Moving over to the biggest and ugliest of them, she stands before him, motioning Steve to stand beside her. The dog sits looking at her, panting at them and wagging his tail. "Ready." She commands. The dog immediately stands, licking his lips. "Set." She commands and the dog begins to whine, wiggling its hips and they can see him getting quite excited. She looks up into Steve's face, the horror finally hitting him. "See how simple words can set him off. One more word and he'll be in a frenzy to get to me, almost breaking the cage to perform. They are all trained this way. They can never be allowed to go to a home. They have to be destroyed. It's a shame but there's no other choice. Not their fault." She looks back at the dog. "Down." The dog sits and starts licking itself.

"I heard stories but never thought it happened."

She walks out of the shed, him right behind her. "Happens more than you would think."

He looks at her, "How do you know all this? Even the commands?"

She stops, looking around. "I was undercover with more sex trafficking families than I want to admit to. Dogs are a popular item on those menus. I told you I've seen cruel and perverted things. This is just one of them."

"How are you handling this? You talk like this is just an everyday thing?"

She gives him a surprised look. "What? You consider heaving and almost passing out taking it in stride? No, this is not an everyday thing, but I can't lose it here anymore than I have so I have to put it aside for now and deal with the situation. And those kids need me right now." She turns back to the house. "We need to get those kids out of here and to hospital. You're right. They need to leave this place and never return."

"Maggie," he reaches out catching her by her upper arm. "Are you okay?"

She stops and sighs. "I'm fine, Steve. Really. Let me just do the job and we'll talk later, okay?"

"Fine. I'm gonna hold you to that." He lets her go. She walks back in, going straight to the bedroom, ignoring the comments coming from the two women on the couch. Walking in, the four kids all look up, smiles crossing their faces and her heart breaks. They've come to trust and believe in her so quickly, she hates the thought of having to turn them over to social services until their parents can be found, but that's the way things work. Grabbing her phone from her pocket, she snaps a couple pictures of them to forward to Jerry and goes over to the bed.

"Hey! Would you all like to go for a ride?" She kneels down before them. "I promised you I was going to take you away from here, never to return. How about we leave now? Huh?" She holds out her hands. The two older girls don't hesitate taking them and standing next to her. Molly, gazing at her, holds out her hands. Maggie leans over, picking her up and cradling her in her arms. She puts out her right hand to Tommy, hoping she's gained enough of his trust that he'll take it. Giving him a moment, she sighs in relief when he tentatively reaches out and takes her hand. She pulls him up and, not letting go, turns to walk out of the room. She sees Steve standing there, his face softening when he sees her surrounded by children and smiles. He holds out his hands to Victoria and Kayla and they walk outside. The kids all blink wildly, Molly hiding her face in Maggie's shoulder when the sun strikes them and she realizes they haven't been outside since they arrived. Her heart breaks more at that thought. Walking over to the van, she waits while Steve opens the back door. The kids all start whining and backing away. "What's wrong?" She tries to put Molly down but the arms around her neck are holding on for dear life. She looks from each of them and then back at the van and sees nothing but fear and terror on their faces. "We can't put them in there, Steve. I think that's how they were brought here and they're afraid." She backs away, not letting go of Tommy's hand.

"Maggie, we need to get them to the hospital. I understand we don't want to split them up at this time so this is the best way to get them there."

"No. They won't get in. Let's take them in the SUV. We can all squeeze in the back seat. I think they'll be more comfortable there. Come on." She moves to the SUV Duke came in and opens the back door. The kids slowly climb in after she gets in, Molly not letting go of her, curling up on her lap. Tommy sits on her left while Victoria and Kayla climb in and sit to her right. With a bit of difficulty, she gets the seat belts around the kids and tries to get one around her and Molly, but it's not long enough. Slipping the belt between their bodies, she gets in around her waist, hearing it click and then wraps her arms around the little girl. "I think if Duke drives, we'll be fine. Get in the passenger seat, Steve." She nods at him to shut the door. He closes it and starts around to the driver's side. When the door opens, she shakes her head. "No. Let Duke drive. I wanna get there in one piece. I have precious cargo on my lap and I'm not taking any chances. Please." She taps her ear. "Duke, I need you to come out here and drive us to the hospital. We're in the SUV."

"Roger that." She hears and she sits back, smiling.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"You know I would've been fine driving us in." He hisses in her ear as they walk into Queen's.

"Oh, Steve, don't get your panties in a bunch. I know you would've been fine, but your mind is so many other places I didn't want to add driving to it. I have no doubt about your driving abilities. I just felt Duke would be more attentive." She smiles at him and he softens.

_God, I love that smile!_ He follows the nurse into a large room. He watches as they roll in two more beds so there's one for each child. Maggie goes to the one against the wall and tries to place Molly on it. She still won't let go so Maggie sits on the bed. The other kids climb up all together. They won't leave her side. "Hey, kids, there's a bed here for each of you. Wouldn't you like your own bed?" He reaches out a hand to Kayla.

"Do we have to, Maggie?"

"It would make it much easier for the doctors to examine you."

"Examine?" Molly squeaks out.

"Yes. The doctor needs to examine you. To be sure you are all okay. They need to document what was done while you were in the house. I'll be here with each one of you while the doctors and nurses do that. I won't leave until they are done. I promise." She looks at Steve and shakes her head. She has no intention of leaving until the doctors are done or their parents arrive. "So how about you each take a bed, Molly on this one. I'm not gonna leave you and neither is Steve. We're gonna stay here with you. Okay?" They nod, eyes big, hands shaking. "Don't worry. No one is here to hurt you. We just want you to be safe and healthy. I can't promise it won't be unpleasant or feel bad but it's to make sure you are all right." She continues to hold the youngest girl as Steve holds out his hand. Kayla takes it, sliding off the bed and he leads to the one next to them. Once he gets her up on the bed, he turns and holds out his hand to Victoria. She jumps off the bed and goes with him to the one across from Kayla. Maggie looks at Tommy, urging him over to the bed across from her. "It's okay, Tommy. He won't hurt you or even touch you if you don't want him to." She reaches out, giving his shoulder a light squeeze. He gives her a small smile and slowly slides off the bed. Moving across to the bed, he has some trouble getting up on it.

"Can I help?" Steve asks, not moving.

Tommy looks at him, a little fear in his eyes. He looks at Maggie, who nods and smiles warmly at him. His eyes big, he nods slightly, his eyes never leaving Steve.

"Okay. I'm gonna come over there and just lift you onto the bed. Is that all right?" Steve slowly walks over to his side. He knows better than to walk up behind him.

"Yes." Tommy whispers. Steve puts his hands under the young boys arms, lifting him up and placing him on the bed. As soon as he's sure he's stable, he removes his hands and smiles at him.

"You good?" He gives him his goofiest grin.

The youngster can't help but smile at that goofy grin and he nods. "I'm good." He sits back on the bed, the pillows behind him.

Steve turns and looks at Maggie, still enveloped by Molly. "You good?" He asks.

"Yeah. I think she's getting a little sleepy. When she drops off, I'll lay her down." She glances at the young face just inches from hers and smiles. Steve's heart melts a little more watching her with this young girl. He can see the mother in her coming out and wonders why she never had any kids. She would be such a good mother. He sees a nurse at the door and he goes to her.

"What's going on?" He asks, seeing the look on her face.

"The other two? The ones from the same house? We need some more information. Do you know what went on there?"

Steve shakes his head. "I was at another house. Agent Finneran breached this one. She discovered these two already in bad shape."

"I need to speak with her. Can you let her know?"

He nods and walks back over to her. "Hey, Maggie, the nurse needs to speak with you regarding the other two kids from the house. Is she still awake?" He asks, quietly. Maggie nods, shifting the young girl. "Think she'll let me take her? They need to speak with you."

She looks down at the young girl, "Hey, Molly? You awake?" Molly gives a slight nod. "I need to go talk to the nurse. Is it all right, if Steve sits with you? Do you trust him?"

She lifts her head, looking Maggie in the eyes. "If you do." She whispers.

Maggie gives a relaxed smile. "Oh, yes, I do." She slides off the bed, signaling to Steve to take her. She puts the girl in his arms, making sure she's okay with him. He holds her close, sitting back on the bed. He nods toward the door.

"Go. We'll be fine." He shifts her in his arms and Maggie sees her curl up close to him. She turns and goes out into the hallway.

"You need to speak with me?"

"Can you come with me?" She moves to down the hall to the other trauma rooms. Following her in, she sees the boy from the house as they work on him. He's rolled on his side and she can see the marks on his back. "Do you know what caused these?" The nurse asks her.

Maggie breathes deeply, swallowing down the bile that threatens to come up again. "Um, it was a dog." She can tell the marks down his back were scratches and bite marks where the dog attacked him while 'raping' him.

"A dog? He was attacked by a dog?"

"He was mauled while being 'mated' with a dog. These kids were found in a 'sex den' and there were several dogs on site. This boy was forced to mate with the dogs and while that was going on, the dogs mauled and attacked him." She leans against the door frame. "It's one of the sickest things I've ever seen in my life, and I've seen a lot. If he survives, he's gonna need years of therapy. What about the girl? Does she have the same wounds?" Maggie walks to the other room. Looking at the girl lying on the table, tubes and wires all over her, she looks back at the nurse. "What about her?" The nurse nods, confirming Maggie's fears. "Son-of-a-bitch!" She walks back down the hall, glancing in the room where the other kids are. She taps her ear bud, walking away from the room. "Duke, got your ears on?"

"Right here, Maggie. What's going on?"

"Where are you?"

"Rendition. Figured you and Steve would want to 'talk' to the suspects before booking them."

"Yeah, good. Listen, keep them there. I don't care what you have to do. Steve and I are gonna be awhile. These kids were brutalized. I sent pictures to Jerry so I'm hoping to start getting ID's and parents soon. These kids need their parents."

"I'll get on him. Should be getting info soon. I know he's received photos from all the others. As soon as he gets anything, we'll let you know."

"Roger that. Just don't them go, Duke. No one gets any phone calls, no contact with anyone but Steve or me. Got that?"

"Ten-four."

Maggie turns back to the nurse. "These dogs were well taken care of and trained. No rabies. I'll get you any other info on them as soon as I can. Do what you need to for these two, okay? They deserve the best." The nurse nods and walks back into the boy's room. Maggie hears a scream come from that room and she has to get away. She moves down the hall and around the corner. Leaning against the wall, she bends at the waist, breathing hard. She gasps when she feels a hand on her shoulder.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

 

"You okay?" She hears that calm, deep voice.

"What are you doing here? Who's with the kids?"

"It's okay. Kayla's sitting with Molly. They're fine. Actually, they asked me to come after you. They saw you walk by and were worried." He studies her as she straightens up. "So, again, you okay?"

"Not really, but I'll have time to deal with it later."

"What's going on, Maggie?"

"These kids were brutalized, Steve. The two older ones…I can't begin to tell you what was done to them. It's gonna be years of therapy before they will have any semblance of a 'normal' life. They're so young. To go through something like this. We should've stopped this sooner." She glares at him.

He stares back at her, knowing exactly what the meaning is behind her words. "I don't think it would've made a difference."

She sets her jaw, not wanting to get into it here. "Not here. I need to get back to the kids. If they saw what happened to the two older, I don't wanna leave them alone for long. I know all these kids in these houses have been through a nightmare, but this is the only one that had dogs at it and these two experienced something terrifying. I can't leave them alone."

"Maggie, my rules, remember?"

"No! That's different. This is something that is non-negotiable. I will not leave these kids until their parents get here. I don't care how long that takes. You can't make me leave this hospital, Steve. These kids have no one right now and they trust me. They trust us. We have to do what we can."

He can hear the pleading in her voice. There is more going on with her, but that will have to wait until later. "I'm not saying we walk away. Not at all. But we can't second guess ourselves. We did what we could and got them out before any of them were killed. I count that as a win. We can make sure they get the best care possible after what they've been through but we can't babysit them for a few weeks or the next ten years. That's not our job. We've done our job. Now we turn these kids over to social services until their parents can get here and we make sure the scum running these houses go away for a long time. That's all we can do."

She glares at him. "It's not enough. I want Karabu. He can't get away with this."

"Well, the FBI has everything and we will forward them any other information we get. Let them handle it."

She lets out a bitter laugh. "You know as well as I do that nothing will come of that. Once the information leaves this island, it'll be buried. I can't let that happen. I WON'T let that happen." She moves away from him, back to the kids' room.

"Maggie, what are you gonna do?" He follows her.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." She puts a big smile on her face as she walks back in.

"Are you all right, Maggie?" Kayla asks, her arms around Molly.

Maggie walks over to them, smiling her biggest smile. "I'm fine, beautiful. Just fine. The nurse just needed some information from me. No worries." She stands next to the bed. Molly unwraps herself from Kayla's arms and makes a beeline for Maggie, wrapping her arms around her neck, pulling her down to the bed. "Hey, hey, careful little one." She laughs as Molly snuggles up next her as she sits on the bed. Kayla moves back to her own bed, looking at the doorway as Steve walks in followed by a doctor and nurse. Maggie sees the kids all move back on the beds, not sure about the two new people. "It's okay, kids. This is the doctor and nurse. I told you about them earlier. They're here to make sure you are all okay." She extracts herself from the young girl and stands. "They're not here to hurt you. Okay? Do you trust me?" She looks from one to the other, seeing them each nod at her. "Good. Kayla? Would be willing to go first? Be my leader?" Maggie walks over to the older girl, taking her hand gently.

Kayla looks from Maggie to the doctor, nurse, and then back. She nods, not saying a word, eyes wide but putting her trust in Maggie. This woman had kept her word since they met her and has given the older girl no reason to doubt her. She moves back on the bed, leaning against the pillows. Maggie squeezes her hand and smiles at her. "It'll be fine. I'll be here the entire time. I won't leave your side."

She listens as the doctor and nurse introduce themselves in gentle, soft voices. They pull the curtains around the bed, explaining every move to Kayla. Maggie feels her grip tighten as the doctor, Alaya, moves to Kayla side and starts the exam.

"Maggie, stop." She hears Steve's voice from beyond the curtain.

"Steve?" She looks at the doctor, signaling her to stop. "I'll be right over here. I won't leave your sight." She says to Kayla, letting go of her hand and moving to the curtain by the door. "What is it?" She peers around the curtain.

"Jerry has some information on these kids' parents. We have to stop the exams until they get here." He nods toward Kayla.

She looks back at the bed, seeing the questions on her face. "Are you sure? How long?"

"They're local. Should be here in about ten minutes. Tommy's, too. They're about thirty minutes away."

"Have they been told anything?"

"No. Jerry said they were just informed that their kids were found and here at Queens. They don't know where they've been for the last few weeks." Maggie closes her eyes, hanging her head. "Hey, they are alive. Their parents will be happy just to have them back alive."

"We should have hit these houses as soon as we knew where they were." She says in a whisper.

"Don't Maggie. You know that wouldn't have worked. We needed the intel to be able to do what we did…get all seventy-two kids out without any casualties. We didn't lose a single kid, Maggie. That's due to your plan. We were able to get in, subdue them and get the kids out cleanly. No one was hurt. Not in this operation."

She looks up at him, her hand instinctively going to his face, caressing the bruising on his jaw and cheek. "Not everyone got out unscathed." She looks deep into his eyes.

He draws his eyes away upon hearing his phone buzz. Pulling it out of his pocket, he pulls up his messages. "Jerry's found Victoria's parents on Lanai. They're being choppered over and should be here in a couple of hours."

"What about Molly?" She peers around the curtain at the little girl curled up on the bed. "Does he have any information on her parents?"

Steve nods. "A little. They're from Illinois and were on vacation here when Molly was taken a little over two weeks ago. Jerry's tried reaching out to them, but has had no luck."

"Two weeks ago? Have they even left the island? If it was my little girl, I'd be camped out at HPD until she was found."

He nods. "He's checking the hotel they were staying at and anywhere else he can think of, I'm sure."

"What about the two older kids? Regan and Vincent? Any word on their parents?"

Steve shakes his head. "No, nothing yet. But Jerry's got his hands full trying to find the parents for all seventy-two kids." He looks at his phone. "He's found twenty of them so far. Yours were the first pictures in so he was able to start working on them right away. He's working hard to find as many as he can, but you said yourself many of them were probably homeless."

"Okay. I'm gonna let them know. I don't know what I'm gonna say to Molly but they need to know." She turns and, pulling back the curtain, she sits on the bed next to Kayla.

Steve turns and goes back out into the hallway. He walks down and checks on the kids from the house he took and finds they are all settled, waiting on news of their families. Seeing Danny's name come up on his phone, he answers quickly. "What's up, Danny?" He moves back out into the main hallway.

"Hey. I thought you'd want some good news."

"What?"

"In 'talking' with the suspects from my house, the visitors they had for the last two nights were there for adult play time only. None of the kids were touched. It seems the two women that were at each house were there for the johns interested in adult sex. Seems they provided all age ranges. I talked to Chin, who's back at HQ with the ones on Oahu and the house you were watching was the same. None of the kids was touched while we watched the houses. Any injuries occurred before we ever knew where they were. We couldn't have stopped what happened but we stopped what could have. Maggie did good with the intel she had."

"You complimenting her? Wow." Steve smiles, knowing his brother has just accepted her into the fold. "I'll be sure she knows."

"And I'll deny it completely. Need to keep up my reputation for being a pain in the ass and against her being here at all."

"Give it up, Danny. You're right, she did good. Can't dispute that." He chuckles. "Thanks for that info. I'll let her know. She's here, beating herself up that we didn't breach right away. This'll help ease her mind." He thinks about those two kids fighting for their lives. They must've been left on that floor for days, bleeding out, infection setting in; dispensable. They'd gotten there just in time. Those two were probably set to be killed and disposed of sometime in the next 24 hours. He walks back to the room where she is, hoping those two survive just to spite Karabu. He watches as she sits with the little one, explaining how they're still searching for her parents and will find them as soon as possible. Molly crawls onto Maggie's lap, curling up, her arms around her neck and head resting in the crook of her neck. His breath catches as Maggie's eyes meet his and he sees the pain registered in them. _She's taking this way too personally. Something more is going on and I need to get her to talk about it before it pushes her down that path again._ He turns as he hears a commotion down the hallway and he sees a man and woman all but running toward him. He knows these must be the first set of parents.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Are you sure?" She demands again, not believing him.

"I'm sure, Maggie. None of the kids was touched while we surveilled. Doctors from the three islands are confirming that as we speak." He sits down next to her in the on call room they'd been given. "So far, forty-two of the kids have been examined and none show any signs of recent trauma. The only ones who do are Regan and Vincent and that was at least 72 hours ago…before we got the intel on the houses. Our presence changed nothing other than bringing them all down. We did what we needed to do. YOU did good."

"There's still a long way to go." She stretches and looks at her watch. _Just after midnight. It's been a long day and it's not over yet._ She sighs and stands, moving to the window. "I just can't imagine being a parent, having your child taken from you and then find that they've been through something like this. These kids have so much pain, anguish and terror to go through in the next few months…maybe years. Trauma like this will be with them for the rest of their lives. And they're so young, Steve." Her voice breaks. "I hope that their minds will take pity on them and consider this experience too traumatic and wipe it from their memories. I hope that they will forget everything that's happened to them over the last few weeks or months. I really do." She stares out into the dark, thinking back on the last few hours and exhaustion hits her hard. Once the parents started showing up, it had been giving them the same information over and over again. Each new pair that showed up was told where their child had been found and what they had been through. By the time they'd found Molly's parents, who had never left the island, she and Steve had repeated themselves nine times and she wanted to kill every 'guardian' that was at each house. She sat with Molly's parents while they listened to Steve and then guided them to her bed. The little one had started sobbing when she saw her parents and once they'd agreed to the exam, Molly had insisted that Maggie stay with her as she had originally promised. It had been the roughest thirty minutes of her life, listening as the young girl cried when they did the rape exam. She'd stayed by her side, holding her little hand until they were done and then held her in her arms as she cried. Her parents hadn't known what to do and had sat out in the hallway while the exam was completed and once Molly calmed down, Maggie had called them back in and given them privacy. She hasn't been back to see any of the kids since. She can't. _I can't go back. It's bad enough that I'll never forget anything I've seen and experienced today but I can't add any more to it. Those kids have their parents now and they're better off. I did my job and now it's time to move on._ She shivers at that thought, wanting nothing more than to run back into that room and comfort those kids. She knows she can't. It's better if they start forgetting and that begins with her.

She shivers again and feels hands on her shoulders; warm, strong hands. They move down her arms and then around her, pulling her back against him, hugging her close. "Hey, it's over. Jerry's found almost all the kids parents, even the runaways. Regan and Vincent are reacting well to the meds and, physically, are going to be fine. All these kids are going to get the best mental health help these islands can give them for as long as it's needed." Her hands come up, bending at the elbows, grabbing his forearms and laying her head back against his shoulder. "YOU did that. You got the intel that allowed us to find these houses and save these kids. Even Danny says you did good."

She chuckles at that. "Oh, now I know you're telling tall tales."

"No, I swear. Yeah, he'll deny it but he said it. And we all agree."

"Is it enough?" She whispers.

"It has to be. One thing you CAN'T do in this job is wonder 'what if?' We went with what we had and did what we could to stop this from continuing. We did our job and now it's time for the doctors, lawyers, prosecutors and parents to do theirs. We have to move on to the next one, knowing we did the best we could."

"I can't move on, Steve. Karabu's got to be stopped."

"I understand and we will forward everything on. In fact, at your suggestion, the governor is holding a press conference in…" he glances at his watch, "less than eight hours to let the world know what we found…and stopped. He agrees that we need to let them know that he's shut down here in Hawaii and we'll be on guard if he tries to come back. Exposure. You said he avoided it at all costs. So let's make it cost him a pretty penny." She sighs, relaxing back into his body. It feels so good to have his arms around her. "Don't worry. We'll get him." He whispers in her ear.

"I hope so. Cause if I run across him or anything doing with him, I will kill him. What happened here should not happen anywhere else in the world." She shivers again.

He tightens his grip around her, "Are you okay? Maybe you should call…" He feels her nodding her head.

"I talked to Jayden earlier for about twenty minutes. I have an appointment for this afternoon. Don't worry, Steve. I'm a big girl."

He smiles, "Just checking on you." He cocks his head as he hears a knock on the door.

"Boss, got a minute?" Kono sticks her head in. Not moving, he nods slightly. "The governor is asking for an update."

Looking back out the window, he replies, "Go ahead and give him one, Kono. Okay?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah. You have all the same intel I have. Give him a full report. Thanks."

"Copy that, boss." She backs out and closes the door.

"You should go, Steve. You know he wants it from you."

"I'm not going anywhere. Kono can handle it."

She relaxes back into him, again; relieved he's not leaving. Her nerves are frayed and she relishes in his comfort. _It feels so right._ They remain like that for a while when his phone buzzes. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looks and the caller ID and hits ignore. "Steve, if you need to take it…"

"Not important right now." He glances over her shoulder when they hear her phone ring. Pulling it out of her pocket, she checks the caller ID.

"He must want you or me." She says, seeing the governor's number.

Steve sighs, letting her go and pulling out his phone. "Guess I should call him then." He hits the ignore on her phone. "Why don't you get a couple hours of sleep while I go do that."

She shakes her head. "I'll sleep when you do." She turns to look at him. "I'm good. Thank you." She caresses the bruises on his face. "You're not invincible. You need sleep, too."

"When this is done." He grins, leaning into her hand.

"Then so will I." Her stubbornness rears its ugly head.

He shakes his head. "Fine. Stay here. Let me give the governor an update and I'll be back. We can both grab a couple hours before the press conference."

"No, Steve, I can't do that. I can't be seen." She moves around him to the middle of the room.

"Why not? You should be there. You were instrumental in bringing this network down."

"I would never be able to go back to undercover work if I show up at a press conference that's to go global."

He steps back at this revelation. "I didn't think you were going back? At least, undercover."

She walks over, sitting down on one of the bunks, "I don't know, Steve. I haven't made any decision, yet. But if I do decide to go back, I can't have my face plastered all over as a cop. Or even associated with the cops. You and your team need to handle this."

"You deserve credit, Maggie. With all you've done…and how much you bugged the shit out of me to help, you need to be there."

"No, I don't. I don't care if you take credit for everything. That doesn't matter to me. But I can't risk the exposure just in case. I'll stay behind the scenes. Please." She looks up at him.

He can't believe she's flipping like this again. Two days ago, she was talking about staying and not worrying about her future with the Company and now she's considering going back. _What's going on with her?_ He glances down as his phone buzzes again. "Maggie…"

"Go. Take it. I'll be here. When you get back, we can both get some sleep and see where we are after that." She smiles at him, waving him away.

He nods, hitting the accept button on his phone. "Yes, Governor. I'm sorry, I was in the middle of something." His voice fades as he walks down the hall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He walks back into the on-call room to find her sitting in a chair, staring out the window. He walks over, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at him and he can see she's been crying. He moves around in front of her, sitting on the window ledge, taking both hands in hers. "Hey, what's going on?"

She smiles through the tears in her eyes. "I can't stop thinking about those poor kids. God, Steve, I wanna go running into their rooms, gather them all up, take them away somewhere safe and make sure nothing and no one ever hurts them again. I know I can't do that but it doesn't keep me from wanting to."

He squeezes her hands. "Come on." He pulls her up from the chair. "You need to sleep." He leads her over to the bunk beds. "Top or bottom?" He asks.

She chuckles and grins at him, "Top, always." She moves to climb up.

He laces his fingers together and holds them in front of her. "Step up."

Rolling her eyes, but not having the energy for more, she places her foot in his hands and he boosts her up. Twisting around so she's sitting with her legs hanging over the edge, he grabs one foot and then the other, sliding off her shoes before she has a chance. "Thank you."

He smiles up at her and motions for her to lay back. "Go on. Lie down, close your eyes and get some sleep."

"Only if you do, too." She motions at the bunk below her. "Climb in, tough guy. I can see it on your face just how tired you are." She lies on her back, feeling him climb in and settle himself. Closing her eyes, she fully intends to wait and be sure he stays in the bed but sleep comes over her before she can even finish that thought.

She gasps for air as her eyes fly open, her hand moving to cover her mouth before a scream could escape. She stares at the ceiling, calming herself down, the nightmare still fresh in her mind. Actually, not really a nightmare but more a horrible memory she's kept buried for twenty years. These kids have brought it back to the surface and she's unable to put it back in its box. She listens closely, can hear his steady, slow breathing, and knows she didn't wake him. Curling up on her side, she closes her eyes, trying to go back to sleep but all she can see is the memory that woke her. Unbidden, tears flow from her eyes, down her face and soak into the pillow. Slowly, she calms down and a restless sleep comes over her again.

He opens his eyes, keeping his breathing steady and slow. He'd heard her whimpering, waking him from a restless sleep, also, and he'd waited to see what she would do. Hearing her calm down and go back to sleep, he feels relief, and worry at the same time. _I never should've brought her in. I know better and my instincts were screaming at me but I ignored them. I won't do that again._ He closes his eyes and is back to sleep in seconds.

**A/N: This section is coming to an end. The next installment is in the works but will be published as another story. I would like to know if there's interest in the continuation? The action/anguish/whump/comfort amps up in the next installment but I want to know if there's any interest. PLEASE let me know if I should continue. Thank you.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

She pushes the off button on the remote and sits back. The governor handled the conference well. Karabu won't like what's happened but he won't take action with this kind of exposure. She had recorded it and has watched it several times in the last few days. She's been avoiding the team since she took her leave before the press conference. They've been leaving messages, as has the governor, but she has not been up to talking. She left a message for the governor, thanking him for his gratitude. She smiles, getting up and walking to the bedroom. It looks empty with just the bed and side table. She'd had the rest of the furniture removed or given to his friends. It was hard to look at it every day and if she stays, she'll bring over her own and get rid of the little that's left. IF she stays. Going into the bedroom, she sits down on the bed, feeling the emptiness surrounding her. She'd moved out of Steve's house before he had a chance to stop her. She needed to be on her own. She has big decisions to make and needed to know if she can live in this house, on her own, without breaking down. _So far, so good!_ She stands, her phone ringing. Seeing the name on the caller ID, she takes a deep breath.

"Finneran."

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50

She walks in through the main double doors, looking down at the big seal on the floor and almost feels home, as if this is where she belongs. _I want to stay, but the pain in my heart for the last few days has been hard. And walking in here every day will only remind me of what I'm missing. Of course, going back to DC will remind me of what I'm giving up here. The potential of living MY life and not someone else's. For the first time since my teens, it would be my life. The case we just cleared brought up all kinds of issues and, though Steve knows what those issues are, the rest of the team don't know and I feel that's wrong but Steve felt it best not to tell them at this time._

_************************flashback** _

He'd not noticed when she left but looking around he can't find her. "Any idea where Maggie is?" He asks out at the table.

They all shake their heads. "Didn't see her leave, boss."

He nods, heading out the door. They'd finished interrogating the couple, let HPD take them to be booked and he had gone to his office to start the paperwork. He'd seen her moving around and his focus went back to his computer. He calls her phone, which goes to voicemail so he heads back to the house. Pulling in, he doesn't see her car so he turns around and heads windward.

Pulling up outside her house, he sees her car and knows she's here.

"Maggie? You here?" He calls as he walks in the front door, using his key. "Maggie!" He moves through the house quickly and then heads out back. The sight he sees scares the hell out of him. She's kneeling in the middle of the yard, butt on heels, head on knees and arms wrapped around her knees. He approaches her, crouching down beside her. "Maggie?" He places his hand on her back. "Hey, you okay?" He shakes her gently.

She mumbles, raising her head slightly. "Steve? What're you doing here?" She straightens her back, sitting up.

"Worrying about you. You disappeared and I wanted to be sure you're okay. You seemed to take this case hard." He leaves his hand on her back.

"Yeah. But I'll be okay. Don't worry." She avoids looking at him.

He nods, "Okay, well how about we go back to my house. I'll grill us up a couple of steaks and we have a great dinner. Been awhile since we sat down to a good meal."

Pausing for just a moment, she finally nods, getting to her feet. He stands, hand remaining on her back and guides her back through the house. Waiting while she locks up, he holds the door to the truck open for her and then climbs behind the wheel. They ride in companionable silence all the way to his house. She moves quickly out of the truck, using her key to get in the front door and through the house. By the time Steve catches up, she's heading out the back lanai door to the beach. He goes into the kitchen, pulls out the steaks from the fridge and works up a marinade for them. Placing them in the container, he glances out and is puzzled by her. She's not sitting in one of the chairs but out on the beach, six pack next to her. He puts the meat back in the fridge and joins her on the beach. "Hey, whatcha doin' out here?" He notices the empty bottle, the one in her hand almost empty. "Save a couple for me." He laughs. She glances up at him then finishes the bottle in her hand. "Well, if all you wanted were a couple of beers, we could've just stopped at a bar instead." He sits down next to her.

Opening a third bottle, she takes a long drink, handing him an unopened one. He takes it, opening it and taking a sip. "How can people do that to their children?" She asks, looking out at the ocean. "How can they profess to love them and then set up to sell them all for some drugs? How?" Her voice catches on the last question.

"I dunno, Maggie. Always baffles me how people can treat their children. All in the name of love." He thinks back to his parents.

"Love." She murmurs. She draws her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "Some parents will do anything for their children in the name of love. Even send them away to keep them safe."

Steve starts at that comment. _How could she know what I'm thinking?_ "What do you mean?"

She takes another drink, swallowing hard. "I have a son, Steve. A son who went away when he was very young." She continues to stare out at the water.

**A/N: A short, holiday chapter. This first part of the collection will be finishing soon and the next one starting. Hope you stick around. The next starts off with a bang! ...and major whump.**


	26. Chapter 26

** Chapter Twenty-Six **

 

_A son? What the hell is she talking about?_ "A son? Where is he? You said Patrick was the last of your living relatives. What're you talking about?" He glares at her.

"I don't know where he is. He was taken from me and I've not heard from him since." She takes another drink.

_Tyler. He must've taken her son when he left. What a bastard!_ "Maggie, what happened? What did he do?"

She gives a short laugh. "He didn't do anything, Steve. It's not what you think."

He moves closer to her. "Tell me."

"Not long after Bryce became my handler, one of the things he helped me do is set up time away from Doherty and the whole operation. That's when I met Tyler. We clicked right away and spent every spare moment together. I told him who I was and what I did and he didn't run away.

I fell for him hard and fast, Steve. Over the next 9 months or so, I was slowly working my way out of the job and spending more time with Tyler. When I found out I was pregnant, Bryce knew he needed to get me out fast, before I started showing. But we didn't move fast enough. Ian noticed and I had to think fast. I made up a story about one of my bodyguards. There was one who was constantly coming on to me and so I told Ian that he'd raped me and I didn't say anything out of fear. He never doubted me and the bodyguard was replaced and I never saw him again.

I thought I was gonna be okay until Ian said he wanted me to get rid of the baby. Well, I was five months along at that time, so I couldn't abort. He then insisted that when the baby was born, it would be taken away and given to a deserving couple. I couldn't allow that and I told Bryce I needed to get out right away. I couldn't let Ian anywhere near this baby.

We worked fast and I disappeared one day and the next Ian was arrested and charged with everything we could think of. Three months later, my son Kyle was born and then Tyler and I were married. I went back to work, doing desk work for the next several months when Ian's trial came up. Kyle was just over a year and I was being prepped for the trial. As it was starting, the opposing counsel destroyed my reputation, using the fact that I was sleeping with Ian, being kept by him, and my testimony about the murders was thrown out. There was enough evidence on the weapons and trafficking without me so they were able to continue on those charges but he never was brought to justice over all the murders I witnessed."

She takes another drink, sighing deeply. "He was furious when he found out I had testified against him and he threatened me and my family. When an attempt was made on Tyler's life, I knew something had to be done. They had to disappear. So, with Bryce's help, we were set up to enter WITSEC."

"What happened? I mean, you're here." He asks gently.

She finally looks at him, her eyes haunted by what happened. "I knew if I went with them, Ian would never stop looking for me…and them. Even from prison, he still had some power, though most of his network had been destroyed. He'd lost everything, including his family. His wife left him and took his kids and he's not seen them since. He blamed me and vowed to do the same to me. I couldn't go with Tyler and Kyle, for their own good. I needed to stay behind to protect them.

So, one night when Kyle was about eighteen months old, they were taken away while I slept. I woke the next morning and they were gone. I almost died. I knew they were leaving, but I never had a chance to say goodbye and no amount of pleading gave me any information on where they were."

She looks at him, the pain clear on her face. "They were taken from me in the middle of the night and I've not seen them or had any information on them since. I lost my son just as sure as Ian lost his kids yet he's vowed to destroy me every year since. I have a son out there somewhere though I have no idea if he's even still alive. And here are parents willing to sell their children off for a few hits. I don't understand."

Tears start to fall, flowing down her cheeks. "I would give anything to know they're all right. But I can't risk their lives as long as Doherty's alive. God dammit, Steve, these people today were willing to sell their children and all I want is to see my son again. I missed seeing him grow up, helping him to grow up and I have to deal with shit like today. It's not right…it's not fair. I'm so sick of having to give up everything in my life just to survive. They don't deserve those children. They deserve a bullet to the brain, is what they deserve. It took everything in me to keep from doing it."

She drops another empty bottle on the sand and reaches for another. Popping off the lid, she takes a long drink staring out at the water. He can see her body shaking from the sobs but he doesn't move. She needs to get this out before it causes her to put a bullet in her own head. He should've never involved her. Between this most recent case the one with Karabu, it's too much.

_But how was I to know she had a son? That these cases would affect her so? I had no idea!_

He sees her finish that bottle and reach for another.

"Maggie, I think you've had enough." He grabs the carton from her before she can get another out.

"Oh, you think so? You know when I've had enough? How do you know that, Steve? Huh? You've been saying for the last two months how well you know me but you never knew I had a son, did you?" She reaches for the last bottle, daring him to stop her. Twisting off the top, she all but drains it.

"You have no idea who I am or anything about me. You have no idea what I've been through…what I've given up for 'God and country'. It's all led me here, to this empty beach, drinking to try and forget, if only for a little while; trying to pass out so I can stop feeling this pain for just a little bit." She can see he's about to speak.

"Oh, no, don't even dare say you know how I feel. Until you've had a child torn from you, you cannot begin to know how I feel." She gets to her knees, her face inches from his. "You don't have any children, Steven. You can't imagine what it feels like to find your child gone, never to be seen again. To live every day of the rest of your life knowing your only child is out there somewhere, that you could walk by him every day and have no idea. God, to not even know if he's alive. For all I know, Doherty could've found him and killed him and Tyler years ago and I would have no idea."

She pulls back from him, unsteady on her feet. She stumbles back from him but manages to stay on her feet. "I'm so fucking tired of being the proper agent for this damn Company. I wanna break into WITSEC, find him and take him away from everything. I wanna go to him and be able to hold him in my arms and tell him how sorry I am that I sent him away…that if I could have done anything differently, I would've. I want to ask him to forgive me, if he can, for not going with them and being a family. This damn job has taken everything from me and what do I have to show for it? Absolutely nothing!" She turns to the water, drinking the last in the bottle. Steve gets to his feet, fearing what she might do.

"I'm on an island in the middle of the fucking Pacific ocean, alone, my only brother dead because of me, a freaking law enforcement team who's taken me in only because they feel sorry for me and my only son somewhere on this Earth where I'll never find him. What more can this job take from me? Huh? I have nothing left to give!" She takes a wobbly step in the direction of the water.

He reaches out, grasping her shoulder.

He should've known better.

Instincts take over and she flips the bottle in her hand and, with all her might, swings around, the empty bottle connecting with the side of his head. Caught off guard, he goes down on his knees, blood running from the broken glass embedded in the side of his head. She doesn't stop there, though. Rage and despair taking over, she brings her knee up under his chin, knocking him to his back. Seeing red, she goes to kick him between his legs, but he's got enough sense to stop that, scissoring his legs and sweeping hers out from under her. Falling forward, she's able stop herself face-planting in the sand and rolls away from him, getting quickly back to her feet. He blinks, trying to bring her back into focus, unable to figure out how she could be on her feet. Tasting blood from the lip he'd bitten when she kneed him, he spits out to his left. He sees her, hands in front of her, ready to fight, so he slowly gets to his feet, hands out, palms up.

"Maggie, what the hell are you doing?" He reaches out to her.

**A/N: Well, this one is almost at an end. Thank you to the few who let me know they want more. What about the rest? Shall I continue? Do you want to read more of Steve and Maggie? More of the rest of the O'hana? More whump, anguish and romance? Let me know.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, other than an epilogue, this is it. The last chapter of this part of the collection. Sorry, it's so long but I didn't want to split into two.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T YOU DARE COME NEAR ME!" She screams at him. "Why couldn't you have left me alone? Huh? Why'd you have to take me in? I would've been fine on my own. I would've completed my op and gone back to DC. I wouldn't be here right now wanting to stay for the rest of my life and actually live MY life. I wouldn't be feeling what I am and wondering where to go from here! And I certainly wouldn't be wanting to find my son so I could have some time as a mother. Wanting to make up for all the time I missed. DAMN YOU, STEVEN MCGARRETT! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" She crumples in on herself, falling in a heap on the ground, her sobbing loud and messy. Ignoring the pain in his head and the blood running down the side of his neck, he moves quickly to her side, gathering her in his arms.

"That's it. Let it all out. I've got you." He maneuvers himself back into a sitting position, pulling her onto his lap. Blinking and shaking his head, he fights the unconsciousness that threatens to overtake him; wanting to be sure she's okay. Holding her tight, he rocks her back and forth, as the grief and pain find their way out of her body.

Sixty minutes later, he feels her shift and try to move out of his arms. "No, its okay, Maggie. Don't move." He tries to keep her in his arms. As much pain as she released, he holds her tight and never wants to let her go. He'd never met anyone who has as much pent up pain, despair and anguish as he has. It feels so good to be here for someone who's hurting just as much as he does. But she struggles against him, pulling hard against his arms.

"No, Steve, I need to get up. Unless you want a puddle in your lap, I need to go to the bathroom." She wiggles out of his arms, stands and walks in the house as if nothing had happened.

Carefully getting up, unsteady on his feet, he tells himself he'll come out and get the empty bottles later and slowly walks toward the house. As he's moving up the couple of steps, he looks up to see her standing in the doorway, first aid kit in her hands. Without saying a word, she nods to the lounge chair. He sits down, blackness overcoming him for a few seconds when he feels her hand on his upper arm. Not opening his eyes, he nods to her to let he know he's conscious and he hears the scraping of another chair moving close.

"This is gonna sting." He hears her say and then feels her hand on his head. Wincing and gasping as she uses the tweezers to pull out the largest piece of glass, the rest don't hurt quite as much and he then feels her flushing the wound to be sure she got it all.

_Her hands are so gentle. It's hard to believe they caused all this damage, too._

He feels her carefully clean out the wound one more time before placing a gauze pad over it and taping it to his head and hair. He feels her fingers under his chin and he winces once again from the pressure. Tilting his head to her, he looks right in her eyes and he sees something he's been waiting to see for two months now…genuine concern for his well being and, maybe, just a little bit of love. Just a little. Or maybe he's hallucinating from the injury. He's not sure as he gazes into her emerald eyes and she concentrates on the split lip. Gently dabbing at it, she uses care as she cleans it.

"It's not deep. No stitches needed." She shifts his head, looking at his chin. "Bruised. Should be okay. How's the head?"

He gives a small nod. "M'fine."

She stands, moving back to the door. "Relax. I've got dinner. I'll check on you every so often." She goes in the house, heading to the kitchen. Pulling out the steaks, she pulls out vegetables and begins to prepare dinner.

"Hey, you still with me?" She says to him, heading to the grill.

Without opening his eyes, he replies, "Still here."

"Good." She starts the fire. "I'll be back." She goes back inside to finish the rest of the meal.

He relaxes back onto the chair, listening to the sounds coming from the house. He finds it nice to hear the sounds of cooking and such again. He hasn't realized how much he misses it until it was gone. She had moved into her house just after the last case they worked together and he found he was lonely. This is the first time she's been back in the house since she left…he misses her. As much as he's always said he likes living alone, he misses having a woman around.

She carries the steaks out, closing the door behind her. Laying hers on the grill, she walks over to him. "Hey, how ya feeling?"

"Mmm," he mumbles.

She leans over to check the bandage on his head. "Head hurt?"

"Hmmm-ummm." He grumbles.

She grabs his hand and places two pills in his palm. Reaching over for a bottle of water, she puts it in his other hand. "OTC. Take 'em." She walks back over to the grill, placing his on the fire. "I know you like yours rare. Don't worry, I got it." She walks back over, leaning over him. "Open your eyes." She looks deep into them once he manages to get them open. "Well, clear, equal and reactive. Doesn't look to be too bad. Any nausea? Dizziness?"

"No." He closes his eyes again, waiting for the pain meds to take effect.

"Good." She walks back over to the grill, turning the steaks. "I'll change the dressing after we eat. You gonna be able to eat with that lip?"

"Figure out a way." He murmurs.

"Okay. Should be done soon. I'll let you know." She goes back inside. He can hear her moving around again, sounding as if she's setting the table.

_I could get used to this on a permanent basis. I like having someone else around. Hell, I like having HER around._

He hears footsteps again and hears her moving around at the grill.

She takes his off, putting on the plate and covering it up. Looking back over at him, she lets her feelings show on her face: grief and shame at having done this to him. He was just trying to help her and she whacks him in the head.

_Thank god, there doesn't seem to be any real damage. No concussion or deep wounds._

She runs her hands over her face, wiping all feelings away.

_I put myself out there and he said nothing. No reaction to what I said. I'm not sure if I'm happy about that or not._

She turns back to the grill, checking her steak. Looking done, she adds it to the plate and goes back inside.

He hears her walk away and opens his eyes the rest of the way. The look on her face tells him all he needs to know.

_S_ _he has the same feelings. It's plain as day on her face. And what she said out there on the beach? "Feeling what she was feeling? Wanting to stay here and live HER life?" I couldn't help but hear that yet I'm afraid to react for fear of chasing her back to DC. But I can't let her leave. No matter what, she has to stay here and give me a chance to show her how I feel; how much I want her to stay and build something with me._

He feels the pain meds start working and he sits up, stopping for a moment as a wave of dizziness washes over him. He sits there, waiting for it to pass and he hears her footsteps approaching.

"Steve?" She stops next to him, her hand on his shoulder.

"M'fine. Just a little dizzy." He looks up at her. "I'm good." He stands, missing her hand when it falls away from his shoulder.

"If you're sure." She smiles at him. "Dinner is ready. Come on." She turns and he follows her, unable to tear his gaze away from her swinging hips. Sitting down at the table, his stomach grumbles and he realizes just how hungry he is.

"Looks great." He picks up his utensils.

"Thanks." She accepts his compliment and starts to eat. They eat in silence, both enjoying the food. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until she started eating. Watching him, she tried to hide her concern and worry over his injuries yet wondered how this was going to be explained to the rest of his team. There would be no way to hide the bruises along his jaw and cheek and the split lip.  
They finish the meal and she cleans up while he moves out to the lanai again. Not wanting to be inside, he gazes out over the ocean as the sun starts to set in the background. He hears her moving around and then her footsteps as she moves out the door. He watches through half closed eyes as she moves across the lanai and sits in the chair next to him. "How're you feeling?" He hears her ask.

"Good. That meal was fantastic. Steak was perfect."

"Thank you." She replies, settling back in the chair and pulling her legs up under her. She takes a deep breath, not sure how to proceed. She hurt him, enough to cause damage and he never fought back. He didn't try to take her down or incapacitate her. He just allowed her to hit him and then brought her down before it went too far. Her anger had completely controlled her and the wall holding in all her feelings crumbled and she said things she shouldn't have. "Steve…" she starts. He turns his head to her, eyes half closed, slight grin on his face. "I'm sorry." She continues to look out toward the sound of the ocean.

"Wanna tell me about it?"

Sighing loudly, she nods. "The last two cases have brought up all the bad memories of my son and what happened. And of thoughts of what could be."

"What do you mean?"

"That first case, with all the kids? When I first saw Vincent, I imagined that could be Kyle. He was the right age and since I have no idea where he is, my mind went there. All I could think about was how my son could be lost and homeless and wind up in some seedy brothel, barely surviving the sick torture they assault him with and I want to die,

Steve. I have no idea where my son is and it's killing me. Everywhere I look, I see him. I have no idea what he would even look like and so I see him in every young man I see. I swear, one day last week, I was walking through HPD and I heard a laugh and it sounded just like his father. I turned to find where it came from and they were gone. I imagine things and I don't know how much more I can take. Then this case today, with the boy being the same age Kyle was when he was taken from me. I was broken when they took him and to witness two parents wanting to sell their little boy just for their next hit…I…" she trails off, another loud sigh coming from her.

"Shit, Maggie, I never even knew. If I'd known, I would've never allowed you to in on this one. Why didn't you tell me after the last one?"

"I wanted to. I almost did…but the timing was bad and I talked to Jayden about it. He said it was natural that I would see Kyle in that poor boy. He helped me through it and I managed to put the memory back in the box. Until today." He remains quiet, his silence urging her on.

"As soon as I saw that little boy, my mind went back to the morning I found him gone. I went crazy back then. My little boy was gone and I was never gonna see him again. I wanted to die. Well, that boy today brought all that back and I just wanted to forget. I know, I know, I can't forget but alcohol helps me pass out and "forget" for a few hours." She snorts, slightly, smiling at him. "I guess it didn't work today. Got a little worked up and with the extra adrenaline and sugar in my system, I reacted poorly and took it out on you. I'm sorry."

He grins, chuckling a bit and turns his head to look at her. "Apology accepted."

"Thank you. I am really sorry, Steve. I just completely lost control. No excuse but an explanation."

"Its okay, Maggie. I understand. I don't feel too good, especially my head, but I can empathize. As you've pointed out, I don't have any children of my own so I can't begin to know how you felt or feel. But I do know what it feels like to have someone you love torn away from you with no chance to say goodbye. To know you're never gonna see them again. If I'd known about Kyle I never would've gotten you involved in these cases."

She shakes her head. "How could you know? It's another thing that appears nowhere in my file. No mention of it for his, and Tyler's, protection. I guess Bryce would let me know if anything had happened to them so I have to assume they're both safe and living out their lives somewhere on this earth."

"Wouldn't he be about nineteen now?"

"Yeah."

"You don't think he'll be looking for you?" He shifts in the chair, turning slightly towards her.

"No. He doesn't even know I'm alive. One thing Tyler and I discussed before they were taken was that when Kyle was old enough to understand, he was to be told that I had died. We didn't want him looking for me or accidentally mentioning me around the wrong people. Therefore, Tyler was to tell him that his mother died. Simple." She sniffles back the tears.

"Oh, Maggie, you need to find him. He's old enough now to make up his own mind if he wants to stay in the program but he should know you're alive."

"No, Steve. It's not safe. As long as Doherty has the means and ability to reach out and find him, he's in danger. If he doesn't even know I exist, he won't look for me and put himself in harm's way. Until Doherty is in protective custody, permanent solitary or dead, I can never see my son or even know where he is. He's safer that way."

"You really believe that?"

She looks him in the eye. "I do. Ian's persistent, shows no mercy and has very little conscience. If he even thought I knew where Kyle was, he'd find a way to get here and get it out of me. If I don't know anything, I can't give him up."

Steve nods, understanding more than she knows. Again, the irony is not lost on him. "I've dealt with guys like that. We can protect him."

"No. I can't bring him out into the open only to have him living under constant protection. That would be like living in jail. It would be cruel to ask him to live under constant fear for his life after living in anonymity."

Steve nods, understanding. Right now, her son is completely hidden. Very few know who he is and, if after all these years, they decided to cut ties, no one knows where they are. He's more than familiar with wanting to limit knowledge, too. She's right. If she doesn't know where and who he is, she can't give him up, in any manner. "But he's an adult now. Don't you think he deserves to have all the information so he can make up his own mind?"

She grins. "I would love for that to be the case. And if there was a way to get the intel to him without putting him in danger, I would be all for that. But for him to get the intel, we would have to find him, meaning putting him in danger and since I can't put him in that kind of situation, he can't get the intel. It's a Catch-22 and I don't know of any way around it." She stands, looking down at him. "Let it go, Steve. I'm asking you, please don't go looking for him. I know you well enough to know that's what's going on in your head right now. Trying to solve this puzzle. Please, don't. Leave him be."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That had been two days ago and she'd not seen him since. Here she is, standing over the seal, ready to face all of them. She'd finally made up her mind and needed to let him, well, them know. She looks around, seeing Kono sitting at her desk. Both Danny and Chin's offices were empty. Taking a few more steps, she sees Kono raise her head, look at her and then look to Steve's office. Maggie follows her eyes and sees the four men gathered in the office, Steve sitting on his desk, arms crossed, one leg propped up, foot dangling. Chin and Lou are sitting in the chairs and Danny is pacing around them, his hands very active in front of him. She smiles, realizing he's off on some type of rant and she can't help but wonder what this one is about.

"Come on, Steve. You can't be serious."

Steve smiles, watching his partner pace all around his office, waving his hands and shaking his head. "I'm more than serious, Danny."

"We're fine, Steve. We don't need any help."

Steve raises his eyebrows, looking from Chin to Lou then to Danny. "Oh? Without her, the last two cases would've have gone nowhere. She has resources and contacts we can only dream of. She has knowledge, skills and talent that can only be an asset to us. If she wants to stay, I have no issue adding her to the team. Chin? Lou?"

Chin looks at his hands then up at Danny as he comes into line of sight. "I gotta agree with, Steve, brah. She broke the case with Karabu and saved all those kids. Without her, we would've never broken it. And these kids? I know you were dealing with Grace and all, but she stepped up and helped find these parents and save two other **young** kids from a life of hell. She can only be an asset. And, she'll keep us on our toes."

They all look at Lou. He shrugs, smiling big. "I like the lady. She's smart, quick and she doesn't take any shit from anyone. Fits right in."

Danny looks at the three of them. "Oh, I see. You've all discussed this previously and already decided. Why'd you even ask?"

"Because you're opinion matters, Daniel. If you say no, then it's no. But you have to admit she fits in and can bring something to the table no one else here can." Steve stares him down.

Danny looks at each one again. Looking up from Chin, he notices her out in the main area. "Oh, no pressure, Steve." He flourishes a hand toward her, "You put me on the spot and I have to make a decision right here, right now."

"What are you talking about?" He follows Danny's eyes and sees Maggie standing there. "I didn't call her. Did you?" He looks to Chin and Lou. They both shake their heads, turning to look out of the office.

She sees them all turn their heads and feels very self-conscious. She smiles, hesitantly, nodding to them and she hears a door open behind her. "Maggie? Hey, it's good to see you." Kono says, walking up to her. Maggie turns, looking at the younger woman. "You okay?"

"Oh, um, yeah. I'm okay. Just needed to talk to Steve."

"I think he was gonna call you. Perfect timing!" She grins, waving at the group.

Maggie watches as they make their way out of the office and over to her. It's as if everything's moving in slow motion. "Maggie? What are you doing here?" Danny asks, being first out the door.

"Oh, I, um, needed to talk to Steve."

"You okay?" Chin walks over to her. "We haven't seen or heard from you since we closed that case. Everything all right?"

She looks at him, concern on his face. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just needed to talk to Steve and give him something."

Steve walks over, with purpose, and takes her arm. "Hey, we were just about to go get lunch. How about I take you out for a plate lunch? Huh?" He steers her back to the doors. "We'll meet you all there." He rushes her out, not giving her a chance to speak.

"Steve, what's going on? I need to tell you something."

"Fine. We can talk over lunch." He guides her to the stairs, not giving her a chance to stop.

"No, Steve, stop." She plants her feet as he moves past her. Turning quickly, he looks at her face and knows what she's gonna say. He can't let her. Not before he's had a chance to have his say. "I need to tell you this here. I don't want to go to lunch."

He sees movement above and the team all standing on the second floor landing. "This is no place to talk. Let's go over to Kamekona's, sit down and you can tell me. Huh?" He gives his best smile. He knows once he gets her over there, in a more comfortable setting and outside of 'work', that he can tell her what she wants to hear.

"No. Steve, listen. I need to tell you something and I need to do it here."

He moves so he's facing the landing, putting her back to everyone. "Hey. I have an idea what you want to say. Can't you at least let me buy you lunch? Huh? I promise, I have my wallet." He gives her a lop-sided grin, hoping she accepts.

She stares at him, not wanting to go anywhere. She just wants to get this over with and leave. "Steve…." She hesitates, his grin becoming contagious. She looks all around, everywhere but his face, rolls her eyes and sighs. "Fine. Lunch."

She turns to the door and he sees the team scramble to move out of her line of sight. He guides her out the door to his truck. They make the short trip to the shrimp truck in silence.

Holding the door for her, he follows her to a table, making sure she's facing the ocean and away from the parking area. "The usual?" He asks. She nods, not sure where to begin. He moves off and she hears him ordering for them both.

_What do I tell him? How can I tell him? I've spent the last two days trying to figure this out and I'm still not sure if what I'm doing is right. I just don't know what else to do._

She looks out at the water, watching the carefree way those out on the beach are behaving, she wishes she could be one of them; to be able to go through the day, not a care in world. At least, while they're here on vacation. This place would never be a vacation destination for her now. She looks up as he sits across from her, placing the tray on the table. He hands her the food and they eat in silence, neither sure where to begin.

"Hey, big boss. Everything okay?" Kamekona asks, walking over to the two of them.

"We're fine, brah. A little privacy, though?" He raises his eyebrows.

"Understood." He smiles, giving a mock salute and walking back to the truck.

Steve looks back at Maggie, trying to read her face.

_This is it. I need to lay all my cards on the table._

"So, you needed to talk?" He leans on his forearms on the table, fingers entwined.

She takes a deep breath. "Uh, what did the team have to say when you walked in?" Her eyes move over the scab on his lip and blue and purple bruise under his chin.

He chuckles, "They, um, wondered who got the best of me. I told them the truth." The glint in his eyes tells her he didn't at all. She raises her eyebrows, opening her eyes wide. He rolls his eyes, "Okay, not the full truth. I told them we were out on the lanai, drinking a little and I tripped and fell right into the railing. Came up under my chin and I bit my lip. They never noticed the cut on my head."

She places her hands in her lap, sliding one into her purse where she can feel the metal. "They actually believed that?"

"I dunno. No one questioned it. That's the team."

She nods, longing to have a group like that to support her. She smiles at him. "They are good bunch, Steve. You have a great team." She rubs her thumb over the top, feeling every groove.

"So I'm told. I never thought about it. They all kind of fell in my lap." He looks above her head, his eyes with a faraway look. Shaking his head, he dispels the memories and concentrates on the present. "We've been through a lot, as you know, and it goes beyond trust…beyond faith…beyond belief. We do for each other. No questions asked, no second thoughts."

She nods, "Hmm, huh. Having people like that in your life is almost necessary in this line of work." She traces her thumb around the edges. "Again, you are lucky. No matter what you say, you chose well. They've been with you seven years; gone to hell and back with you and still here. That's impressive."

He looks directly in her eyes, knowing she's stalling. For what, he has no idea. But this small talk is getting on his nerves. It's time. "Maggie, I gotta ask. Have you made up your mind?"

She doesn't break the stare. _Here we go._ "Well, I spent the last two days going over everything. Barely slept any. Watched the news conference several times and have replayed the last three months in my head more times than I can count." She grasps the object in her hand, cradling it in her palm. "I…"

He holds up his hand. "Hang on a minute. Can I say something? Before you finish?"

_Might as well let him speak._ "Okay." She nods, her hand gripping the object tightly.

He takes a deep breath, "You are one of the best I've ever seen. Despite everything that was going on with you personally, you were able to do the job, even back when you first showed up. You suffered a great loss and still did your job. Not many can do that as successfully as you did. Never mind the shit the last two cases brought up, you finished the job and saved those kids lives. Yeah, you've had some rough times, but here you are. You are so strong, Maggie. Stronger than you think. The little I know, you've been through so much and I wish I could take it all away…but I can't." He pauses, looking out over her shoulder again, shaking his head.

"I care about you, Maggie. I want you to be happy and whatever you decide, I will support you. Do I want you to stay here? Yeah, I do. I think you can have a good life here and be happy here. I've watched you and every time you talk about and think about going back, you tense up and your body language betrays you. You've said many times you can't go back to undercover work then you backtrack and say the opposite. You've said your heart just isn't in it anymore. Maggie, that will get you killed if you go back to it. You know that. I don't think you want to go back, but something is keeping you from staying here or at least admitting that you want to stay and I don't understand that. I can't understand why you are fighting this so hard. Look around. You have so much here." He wants to reach out and take her hands in his, but she's has them clenched in her lap.

She grips the object, her palm surrounding it, fingers grasping it tight. She pulls her hand out of her purse, still grasping the object tight. Sliding her hand over the table, she places it, palm down, in the middle and forces her hand to release the badge.

"I don't belong here, Steve. I came here for a job and to visit my brother. That was all. I never planned on staying and even after Trick died, I had no intention of staying. Shit happened, I needed some help, and I thank you. You have been amazing. You took me in from the beginning and I don't think I'd be here if you'd not stepped up."

She glances up at his face, daring to look him in the eye. He's looking out over her shoulder, out in the distance. Her movement brings his eyes back to her face and she can't identify the emotions crossing his face. She looks back down at the badge, untouched between them.

"I have a life back in DC. Yeah, not much of one, but still, a life I need to get back to. I can't just up and leave everyone back there hanging. I can't start over. Come on, Steve, I'm too old to pack up and start a new life."

"Too late. You already have." She hears from behind her. Turning her head, she sees Danny walking over, straddle the bench on the picnic table and sit down next to her. He smiles gently at her, putting his hand on the badge on the table. "You already have started a new life here, Mags. I mean, look around. You have many friends, and family, here supporting you. You have a place to live and hell," he holds the badge out to her; "you even have a job, if you accept it. Hell, you have more than I did when I moved here and I'm still here with a whole 'nother life than what I had before."

He takes her hand in his free one and places the badge back in her palm. "Don't fight it. It's what happens when you're hijacked onto the governor's task force. You have no choice. Remember, SuperSEAL over there doesn't take no for an answer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N2: I hope you've enjoyed my ramblings and will continue onto the next part of the saga. Let me know, please. I would love to hear what you think.


	28. Chapter 28

Epilogue

She walks out of the bedroom, into the living room and looks around. Her furniture looks good here. She hadn't been sure when she'd gone back, but it looks good. Picking up her gun and badge, she slips one into the holster on her hip and the other on her belt. Glancing down, she likes what she sees.

_Damn, what a difference a month makes!_

Grabbing her keys and ID, she walks out to the front lanai to wait for him to pick her up.

_Hard to believe it was Danny who convinced me to stay. Not Kono, not Chin, not even Steve…but Danny. The one person who has the biggest doubts about me and he's the one who offered me this badge and said I was too late._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

She looks him directly in the eye trying to gauge the level of seriousness. His eyes are soft, his gaze honest and his body language relaxed. There's no deceit at all. She looks down as she feels his hand release the badge and curl around her hand, closing it around the object. He smiles, nodding his head and motioning with it behind her. She looks over her shoulder to see the rest of the team behind her, smiling big. "Do you all feel this way?" She turns back to Danny.

"Yeah, they do."

"Can't deny it, Mags." Lou walks up behind her placing his hand on her shoulder. "You're part of this family now whether you like it or not. It snuck up on you, grabbed you and you didn't even know it. I know how you feel." He smiles big at her, squeezing her shoulder.

Glancing around again, she sees the same big smiles on Chin and Kono's faces and she can't help but feel accepted. It scares the hell out of her. Quickly, she turns back to Steve, his eyes watching her, gentle and blue. "You?"

"This is their decision. I voiced my opinion and they discussed it."

"Really wasn't much of a discussion once we realized you were already o'hana." Chin says, moving over and sitting down next to Steve. Kono sits down on his other side, all staring at her. She feels Lou sit on her other side and she shifts, uncomfortably. "I don't…"

"Stop. Not sure why you're fighting it, Mags, but you're wrong. You belong here more than I do." Lou says. "You slipped right in with this team like you been doing this all your life. If that don't mean you belong, I don't know what does." He smiles big at her. "Take the badge, move into that house and keep us on our toes."

"I don't know what he's talking about, but we can use someone around here who can keep this animal in line." Danny thumbs over at Steve.

She smiles. _If he only knew exactly how I wanted to keep that animal in line._

She hears Steve chuckle and looks up. His green eyes are soft and smiling; she just wants to curl up with him and never move. She sees him nod slightly and she turns to Danny. His smile tells her everything. She looks to Kono and can see the excitement on her face and she nods. She blinks and looks over at Chin, who's smiling and nods.

Finally, she turns to Lou, who gives her a little nudge. She brings her hand up, opening her fingers and looks down at the gold shield. She can't help a small smile from crossing her lips at the thought of wearing this every day. She wants to stay more than she'll ever admit to anyone and to think that they all want her to stay…well, it's more than she ever expected. She looks around at the four of them, avoiding Steve's eyes and then back to the badge. She shakes her head, flips the badge in her hand and hooks it on the waistband of her jeans.

"Yes!" Kono yells out, jumping up and running around the table, coming up behind her. She puts her arms around her, crushing Maggie in a bear hug. Maggie starts laughing, the hug being one of the best things that's happened to her in days. She looks over at Chin who's grinning big and nods again. She feels Lou put his arm around her and pull her to him, his laugh loud in her ear. Turning to her right, she sees Danny sitting there, a smile on his face and his right hand out to her. She takes it and he pulls her in for a hug.

"Welcome. Remember, you're the rookie now so be prepared."

She laughs, knowing she'll be getting all the shit jobs for the next couple of months. Finally, she lifts her gaze and looks into Steve's face. He's sitting, arms crossed and leaning on the tabletop, appearing calm and relaxed. His smile widens and he nods. _Step one and two…done. Now onto step three!_

After that, things moved quickly. Two days later, she'd flown back to DC to pack up her place and give Bryce her resignation. Steve insisted on going with her, not to help but more out of fear that once she arrived back there, she would change her mind and stay. While he helped to pack up her sparse apartment, she'd gone in to give Bryce the news. He'd taken it better than she expected, though he wasn't happy. He accepted her letter, insisting she keep her level of clearance since they never would know when her being there could come in handy. He made her promise that if things didn't work out, she would come back here and he would find something for her to do and keep her from fieldwork, if that's what she wanted.

Her heart had broken a bit with that goodbye but as she walked out of that building, for what she expected was the last time, a great weight lifted and she felt happier than she had in years. When she arrived back at her apartment and saw Steve surrounded by boxes, she knew this was the right decision and vowed someday to be sure and thank him, and the rest of the team, for helping her do this.

The biggest surprise, at least for Steve, was when she took him down to the garage to wait for the shipping company to pick up her car. She hadn't told him about it, knowing how he felt about the Camaro and she wanted to shock him.

And he'd been shocked.

"Wait. This is your car?" He walks around the SS, marveling at it.

"Yeah. Bought it last year, special order. As you can see from my apartment, I don't have much in the way of knick-knacks or 'toys' so I went all out on this baby. What do you think?"

He walks around the car, a huge grin spreading across his face. "Engine?"

She shakes her head. "V8, 6.2 liter, 415 hp."

He nods. "Zero to sixty?"

"Four point seven seconds."

"Nice. Color?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, I had it customized. It's a metallic deep purple. I didn't like any of the colors it came in so I paid extra for this." She places her hand on the hood.

"Are you into cars?" He smiles.

"Just this one." She smiles back.

He nods, going for the driver's door. Pulling on the handle, he finds it locked. "Gonna let me get behind the wheel?" He's bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Uh, no." She shakes her head.

"Come on, Maggie. Just a quick drive through the garage?"

"No, on so many levels. First is the shipping company is gonna be here any minute and I cannot keep them waiting. Second, NO ONE drives this car but me. There have been absolutely no exceptions. Third, I like my car and I've heard too many stories about you and that Camaro. Shall I continue?"

"Hey, very few times have I ever been the cause of the problems and damage to his car! That's just a big misunderstanding." He grins at her.

"Still doesn't mean you get to drive it." She pockets the keys.

He knows if he can get her to open the door, he can start it. "Well, then just let me sit in it. Get a feel for it?"

"Give it up, big guy. Besides, you get more than fifty feet away from the key fob and the car shuts down. You wouldn't get far."

"Uh, not supposed to work that way."

"Another customization I had added. Protects it if it's stolen…or driven by someone I don't want driving it." She laughs at the look on his face. It was as if she knew she would meet him.

"You are evil." He says, trying to keep a straight face. "You know you're going to a small island in the middle of the Pacific and we ARE going to have to go places together?"

"I know. You can ride shotgun." She pulls her phone out when it buzzes. She pulls up an app and sees the shipping truck waiting to enter the garage. She punches in a code and the gate opens.

"I don't do shotgun."

"Then I guess you ride in back." She shoves her phone back in her pocket.

"Not gonna happen." He frowns. "It's gonna make it tough."

She sees the truck turn the corner. "Well, maybe I'll let you drive on our first date." She moves away from the car, waving and moving toward the truck.

His head snaps up at that comment but she's already talking to the driver, giving him instructions for transport and handling.

_Oh, I have to follow up on that line! She's opened the door and I am definitely walking through!_

The next day, they were back on the island and waiting on her furniture, possessions and car to arrive. She'd insisted on staying in her house, even with the sparse furnishings so she didn't put Steve out anymore than she already had. She'd been surprised to find the team, and family members, show up when her stuff did arrive and help unpack and move the furniture. The guys marveled at the car, which she unlocked but made sure the key is far enough away. They'd even sent Chin in to ask for the fob so they could start it. She'd made them hold off while she finished unpacking the kitchen. When she went out, she had to run once she was within distance and plant herself in front of the vehicle while the 'boys' checked out her toy. She was not letting that car move.

After checking out the engine, the hood was closed and she was confronted by Steve, sitting in the driver's seat, ready to take off. She'd planted her feet, crossed her arms and stood there, shaking her head. He was not going anywhere. After a couple of minutes, he'd given in and she turned off the car. Pouting, he reluctantly got out of the car and helped finish up the house. As it was getting dark, the last of the boxes had been broken down, set out by the garbage cans and the house in order, she ordered some delivery, mainly pizza, Chinese and, of course, shrimp, and they all gathered in the living room for a good meal.

Making sure everyone had food and drink, Maggie stood up, beer in hand and looked at her o'hana.

_How did I get so lucky? What have I ever done to deserve such a good group of people caring about me?_

"So, first, I wanna thank you all for being here. Thank you for helping me unpack and put this house in order. Would have taken me weeks to get this place where it is right now. I'm humbled by this outpouring and I don't know what to say but thank you." She takes a deep breath. "When I saw all of you show up this morning, I knew this is where I'm supposed to be. Now, I don't wanna get all mushy and such, but I've never felt so at home as I do right now and it's all in thanks to you. Since it may be a long time since we can gather like this again, I need to thank you, again." She lifts up her bottle in a toast. "Thanks for giving me a home." She takes a drink, her eyes never leaving Steve's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking up at the sound of the truck, she smiles at those memories and stands.

**TBC in "Life Always Comes Back To Bite You In The End."**


End file.
